<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-jaylen-brown-gives-cryptic-take-on-playing-hometown-hawks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Celtics’ Jaylen Brown gives cryptic take on playing for hometown Hawks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jaylen-Brown.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Celtics’ Jaylen Brown gives cryptic take on playing for hometown Hawks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T07:39:48-07:00">September 11th, 7:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T07:39:48-07:00">September 11th, 7:39am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In any sport, one of the best things to see from athletes is them going to play for their hometown. In the NBA, one of those moments is seeing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-adds-fuel-nba-draft-lottery-rigging-conspiracy-theories">LeBron James get drafted to the Cleveland Cavaliers</a>, and then coming back later in his career to win them their first championship. Recently, Jaylen Brown was asked about <a href="https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2025/09/11/given-his-hometown-ties-to-georgia-radio-host-darian/86088531007/" rel="noopener">playing for his hometown team</a>, the Atlanta Hawks.</p><p>“I would love to see you play for the hometown,” radio personality Big Tigger said to Brown on V-103.</p><p>“I feel you. I think my grandma would too,” Brown said.</p><p>Brown noted that his grandmother had talked to him about potentially playing for the Hawks in the future.</p><p>“Yeah, but you never know. We’ll see,” Brown said.</p><p>It may be fun to see Brown play for the Hawks one day, but he is still in the middle of a big contract with the Boston Celtics, and it’s hard to see a team trading for a number that large. At the same time, he doesn’t have to particularly play for the Hawks while he’s in his prime, it could be when he’s set to get another contract.</p><p>Regardless, Brown is probably not worried about playing for any other team right now than the Celtics, and he’ll be the leader on the team this season with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-jayson-tatum-encouraging-update-tedious-achilles-injury-rehab">Jayson Tatum still recovering from his Achilles injury</a>.</p><h2><b>Jaylen Brown will have to lead Celtics this season</b></h2><p>After Tatum went down with the Achilles injury, the future of the Celtics was put in the spotlight, and they made some big moves throughout the offseason. The traded Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, two key players that they had brought in to help them win the championship two seasons ago. Those moves were made for financial reasons and to avoid the second apron.</p><p>Now, with Tatum possibly out for the entire upcoming season, it will be up to Brown and Derrick White to lead the the Celtics. They were able to acquire Anfernee Simons in the Holiday trade, but it still seems like they’re open to moving him again. If he stays with the Celtics, Simons could be another key scorer for the team.</p><p>This won’t be the same dominant team that they’ve been for the past few years, and it will be interesting to see where they stack up in the Eastern Conference with what they currently have.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics’ Jaylen Brown gives cryptic take on playing for hometown Hawks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-rumors-insider-warning-trae-youngs-hawks-future');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks rumors: Insider gives ‘murky’ warning on Trae Young’s future');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Trae-Young-Hawks.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Hawks rumors: Insider gives ‘murky’ warning on Trae Young’s future</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T12:44:19-07:00">September 9th, 12:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T12:44:19-07:00">September 9th, 12:44pm</time><address><a>Rishav Bhat</a>Rishav is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Hawks have consistently relied on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-rumors-what-atlanta-is-eager-to-see-before-making-trae-young-decision">Trae Young since his arrival at the franchise back in 2018</a>. Last season, he led the league in assists(11.6), averaged 24.2 points per game while shooting at almost 50% from the field, and earned his fourth overall and second consecutive All-Star nod.</p><p>Young is eligible for a four-year, $229 million extension that will rise to $345 million if he earns another All-Star selection next season. And yet, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon believes that his l<a href="https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2025/09/09/long-term-outlook-for-trae-young-in-atlanta-murky/86056193007/" rel="noopener">ong-term future may be away </a>from Atlanta.</p><p>“The long-term outlook for Trae Young in Atlanta is murky at the minimum at this point. This is the guy who has been the face of the Atlanta Hawks for seven years..there are question marks about whether this is going to, you know, be a long-term marriage,” he said per HoopsHype, which presents an interesting scenario for competing teams.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-trae-young-says-ready-compete-championship-exclusive">Young had only recently spoken to ClutchPoints about how he expects</a> the Hawks “to compete for something” in the upcoming season after making major changes this offseason. Atlanta has added Kristaps Porzingis, Jalen Johnson, Luke Kennard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker already and do appear to be the strongest they have been since years, at least on paper.</p><p>However, the financials behind Young’s extension may be the source of the uncertainty, with the Hawks having last made the playoffs in the 2022-23 campaign with the 26-year-old at the helm.</p><p>As things stand, things could get interesting in the coming time. If Atlanta does not want to offer him the extension he is eligible for, the player will enter the next offseason with multiple options.</p><p>He can take on the player option for the 2026-27 campaign or negotiate a multi-year deal with Atlanta then, considering a number of teams can be expected to be interested in him. The upcoming campaign and how well the Hawks are able to compete in the East may play a major role in determining the direction in which this saga goes.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks rumors: Insider gives ‘murky’ warning on Trae Young’s future

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-trae-young-reveals-unique-approach-avoiding-ankle-injuries');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks’ Trae Young reveals his unique approach to avoiding ankle injuries with Zamst braces');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Trae-Young-reveals-his-unique-approach-to-avoiding-ankle-injuries-4.jpg"></figure><h1>Hawks’ Trae Young reveals his unique approach to avoiding ankle injuries with Zamst braces</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T11:51:08-07:00">September 9th, 11:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T10:42:40-07:00">September 10th, 10:42am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>NORMAN, OK — Back in Norman, Oklahoma, Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young is giving back to his community by collaborating with his Zamst sponsor in hosting a kids basketball camp at his Young Family Athletic Center (YFAC). Ahead of his eighth season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-trae-young-says-ready-compete-championship-exclusive">Young has championship aspirations for the 2025-26 Hawks</a>. He also wanted to educate kids on the importance of taking care of their bodies, starting at a young age.</p><p>It’s been five years since Young started using <a href="https://zamst.us/products/a2-dx-black">Zamst A2-DX ankle braces</a>, a top-quality sports brace for athletes, which Trae says is a catalyst for avoiding ankle injuries and prolonging his NBA career.</p><p>“A lot of people are turned off by braces because of the way they look and things like that, and how bulky they can be, but I feel like these aren’t the normal type of braces,” Young tells ClutchPoints. “They’re made for athletes.”</p><p>Zamst gives the four-time All-Star the flexibility needed to move swiftly past defenders, coupled with the mobile support to recover from potentially devastating injuries.</p><p>“To be honest, I would roll my ankles too many times,” Young said of his early years in the NBA. “I always wore tape since high school. I’d just tape my ankle. But it felt like when you’re in the NBA and you play so many games, even younger in high school and college, I feel like, if I had known the knowledge about how tape can wear down as the game goes on, I probably would have worn ankle braces earlier. But when I started shooting floaters and landing on big men’s feet and rolling my ankle, I was like, ‘I didn’t want to do this anymore.’</p><p>“Five years now. Even when I do it now, accidentally roll my ankle, the brace will catch it. I might have a bruise there, but it’s definitely not me missing a game and things like that. The brace has been big for me. I don’t work out or anything without it,” Young concluded.</p><h2><b>Why hosting camp is ‘a dream come true’ for Hawks’ Trae Young</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Trae-Young-reveals-his-unique-approach-to-avoiding-ankle-injuries-2.jpg"><figcaption>Trae Young speaks to campers in Norman, Okla.</figcaption></figure><p>For Hawks All-Star Trae Young, being surrounded by young basketball players in his hometown is a nostalgic experience. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/oklahoma-football-news-trae-young-michigan-sooners" rel="noopener">watching his Oklahoma alma mater face Michigan</a>, Young stayed in Norman to spend time with kids at the Trae Young Basketball Camp at his Young Family Athletic Center. It’s a facility funded by his Trae Young Family Foundation and <a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Sway/status/1964778948824625460" rel="noopener">opened to the public in 2024</a>.</p><p>“It’s a dream come true, having all these little kids come into my own facility,” Young said. “I dreamed of having this when I was a kid, when I was going to NBA players’ camps, and seeing the facilities moved me. So, it’s unreal for sure.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Trae Young arrives at the Young Family Athletic Center (YFAC) for Trae Young Basketball Camp here in Norman, OK <a href="https://t.co/Qa6j2Fxlvf">pic.twitter.com/Qa6j2Fxlvf</a></p><p>— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) <a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Sway/status/1964778948824625460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>For Young, his message to youth basketball players is simple: keep playing and have fun.</p><p>“This game can take you so much further. Being stressed as a kid about your future and not knowing what it’s going to be like with basketball, and things like that,” Young said. “For me, I was so locked in as a kid, getting better every day, and having fun with my friends when I was with them. Whether it was at the court or at the playground or playing another sport, just having fun will take you a lot further than feeling some type of pressure on yourself for not knowing the future.”</p><p>Ahead of 2025-26, as part of a Hawks roster Young believes can compete for a championship, he’s reminded of his hometown roots before pursuing his one NBA goal of winning a title.</p><p><i>Zamst is a proud sponsor of Trae Young. Explore <a href="https://zamst.us/collections/ankles/products/a2-dx-black"><b>Traeanklebraces</b> here.</a></i></p><p><b>ABOUT ZAMST</b></p><p><i>Zamst, a brand specializing in braces, supports, and care products for athletes, has 50 years of experience in the orthopedics field. Our mission is to prevent injuries and improve performance by integrating insights from sports medicine professionals and athletes. We constantly incorporate the latest research into our product development, focusing on precise fit and functionality. Feedback from sports physicians, trainers, and field testing with athletes helps us ensure usability, fit, and durability, making our products trusted by top athletes worldwide. </i><i>For more information about Zamst, visit <a href="http://zamst.us">Zamst.us</a> </i></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks’ Trae Young reveals his unique approach to avoiding ankle injuries with Zamst braces

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-kristaps-porzingis-still-scouts-uneasy-despite-eurobasket-performance');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks’ Kristaps Porzingis still has scouts uneasy despite EuroBasket performance');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Hawks-center-Kristaps-Porzingis.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hawks’ Kristaps Porzingis still has scouts uneasy despite EuroBasket performance</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T09:11:45-07:00">September 9th, 9:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T09:11:45-07:00">September 9th, 9:11am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Atlanta Hawks center <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-trae-young-says-ready-compete-championship-exclusive">Kristaps Porzingis revealed he was pleasantly surprised</a> when he found out he had been traded to the Hawks and not the San Antonio Spurs. He sees Atlanta as a team that’s on the cusp of competing for a championship and feels he could be the missing piece to push them over the edge. Watching Porzingis compete for Latvia in EuroBasket 2025 was encouraging for fans, as Kristaps missed most of the 2024-25 campaign.</p><p>However, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDcRizbOLBY&amp;t=1014s" rel="noopener">scouts in attendance</a> for Latvia men’s basketball team’s EuroBasket games were underwhelmed by Porzingis’ overall performance, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said, per The Hoop Collective.</p><p>“The Latvians got eliminated in this round. Kristaps Porzingis had a 34-point, 19-rebound game in the round of 16, and they got eliminated. So those stats look good,” Windhorst said. “He averaged 20 points a game and six rebounds in this series, or in the tournament. However, the scouts were not blown away by the way he looked. They felt he looked not the sort of impact player they were used to seeing.</p><p>“And he admitted that while he feels better than he did in the spring, he’s still got a ways to go. That he’s not back to the full health that he was at,” Windhorst concluded.</p><p>Perhaps getting the rust off is part of Porzingis’ progression toward returning to form. He’s looking forward to his tenure with the Hawks, as Porzingis believes <a href="https://basketballsphere.com/en/kristaps-porzingis-its-a-great-situation-for-me-to-come-in-and-contribute/" rel="noopener">it’s an ideal situation for him</a> to compete at a high level, he said, per Basketball Sphere’s Dejan Gajic.</p><p>“I think expectations are high. Atlanta’s been on the edge of the playoffs the last few years, sometimes getting through the first round,” Porzingis said. “It’s a great situation for me to come in and contribute. Maybe even better than Boston, where it was championship or bust.”</p><h2><b>Trae Young sees title aspirations for 2025-26 Hawks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Hawks-guard-Trae-Young-Hawks-forward-Jalen-Johnson.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>All-Star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-trae-young-says-ready-compete-championship-exclusive">Trae Young believes the 2025-26 Hawks can compete</a> for a championship. With Jalen Johnson returning from of a season-ending shoulder surgery and offseason additions such as Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, and Kristaps Porzingis, Young is heading into his eighth season on a Hawks team with the highest expectations of his career.</p><p>“You can look at our roster and look at our team, and you can finally say we’re trying to compete for something,” Young said. “Going into Year 8, you haven’t been able to look at my teams, and been able to say that necessarily. So, I’m very glad that we have a team like that. We’ve added Nickeil [Alexander-Walker], we added Luke [Kennard], and Jalen [Johnson] being back, and obviously, [Kristaps] Porzingis. If we’re healthy, we’ll definitely be up there.”</p><p>The Hawks begin their preseason schedule against the Rockets on October 6.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks’ Kristaps Porzingis still has scouts uneasy despite EuroBasket performance

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-trae-young-says-ready-compete-championship-exclusive');   ga('set', 'title', 'Trae Young says Hawks are ready to ‘compete for a championship’ [Exclusive]');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Trae-Young-says-Atlanta-is-ready-to-compete-for-a-championship-Exclusive.jpg"></figure><h1>Trae Young says Hawks are ready to ‘compete for a championship’ [Exclusive]</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T07:35:14-07:00">September 8th, 7:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T11:09:29-07:00">September 8th, 11:09am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>NORMAN, OK — For Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young, coming back home is a friendly reminder of how far he’s come, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-buy-sell-trae-young-splashy-offseason">the expectations set forth for the 2025-26 Hawks</a>. Back in Norman, Oklahoma, for homecoming, Young cheered for his Oklahoma Sooners to beat Michigan one day, then helped coach kids at his basketball camp held at his Young Family Athletic Center the next. The nostalgia made for a fulfilling, yet reflective, weekend.</p><p>“It’s a dream come true. I grew up here in Norman. I went to elementary school here. I went to middle school, high school, then, collegetown, [University of] Oklahoma,” Young said to roughly 100 campers in attendance. “So, it’s an unknown privilege [as an NBA player]. Not many people can say that from here.”</p><p>The four-time All-Star is entering his eighth season with the Hawks. After becoming the first player in franchise history to lead the league in assists per game (11.6) last season, Young’s sole focus for this upcoming campaign is to return to the Eastern Conference Finals, where he made his first and only appearance in 2021.</p><p>After leading the NBA in total points and assists in 2021-22, Trae Young led the league in assists per game and total assists for the first time in his career. Still, he remains focused on leading the Hawks to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in five years.</p><p>“To be honest, I didn’t really [think] about leading the league in assists since my rookie year,” Young told ClutchPoints. “I’ve done it already a couple of times in total. That’s enough for me. This year, getting it was cool, but I felt like I’d already done that before. Even this year and the last few years, for me, it’s getting back to where I’ve been in the playoffs and further. So, I’m trying to get to the Finals and compete for a championship; that’s my only goal.”</p><p>The Milwaukee Bucks eliminated the Hawks, 4-2, to advance to the 2021 NBA Finals, where they were crowned champions after beating the Phoenix Suns in six games. Last season, the Hawks failed to make the playoffs.</p><h2><b>Trae Young discusses title aspirations for the 2025-26 Hawks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Hawks-Zaccharie-Risacher-Hawks-All-Star-Trae-Young.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With the Hawks’ key offseason additions, including Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard through free agency and trading for Kristaps Porzingis from the 2024 champion Celtics, Hawks All-Star Trae Young sees a path for his team to return to the Eastern Conference Finals, or further. With the 2024 No. 1 overall pick’s rookie season under his belt, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-zaccharie-risacher-trae-young-connection-growth-entering-year-2">Zaccharie Risacher made a connection with Young</a> and looks forward to building that bond.</p><p>For Young, that’s just one of the many reasons he’s expecting the Hawks to make a significant stride this upcoming season.</p><p>“You can look at our roster and look at our team, and you can finally say we’re trying to compete for something,” Young said. “Going into Year 8, you haven’t been able to look at my teams, and been able to say that necessarily. So, I’m very glad that we have a team like that. We’ve added Nickeil [Alexander-Walker], we added Luke [Kennard], and Jalen [Johnson] being back, and obviously, [Kristaps] Porzingis. If we’re healthy, we’ll definitely be up there.”</p><p>Johnson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in January, but is expected to make a full recovery ahead of 2025-26. As for Risacher, he <a href="https://basketnews.com/news-230190-zaccharie-risacher-reacts-to-hawks-landing-porzingis-praises-trae-young.html#google_vignette" rel="noopener">considers himself fortunate</a> to have played alongside Young his rookie season, and is eager to get back to work, he said, per BasketNews.</p><p>“I feel like we established a connection during the year,” Risacher said. “Honestly, it was great for me to play with him. Obviously, he’s one of the best passers in the league. I feel like I was lucky to start in the NBA, my rookie season with him by my side. Yeah, just a great guy outside the court, too. It’s exciting to see him again in September.”</p><p>Young is entering the fourth year of his five-year, $215.2 million deal. The following season, 2026-27, is a player option, worth $48.9 million.</p><p><i>Zamst is a proud sponsor of Trae Young. For more information about Zamst and how they provide braces and supports for athletes, visit <a href="http://Zamst.us">Zamst.us</a>.</i></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Trae Young says Hawks are ready to ‘compete for a championship’ [Exclusive]

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/eurobasket-news-kristaps-porzingis-mid-season-form-despite-loss-to-lithuania');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kristaps Porzingis appears to be in mid-season form despite EuroBasket loss to Lithuania');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Kristaps-Porzingis-appears-to-be-in-mid-season-form-despite-loss-to-Lithuania.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Kristaps Porzingis appears to be in mid-season form despite EuroBasket loss to Lithuania</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T11:47:38-07:00">September 6th, 11:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-06T11:47:38-07:00">September 6th, 11:47am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Atlanta Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1964386849822044406" rel="noopener">delivered a dominant performance</a> for Latvia on Saturday, though it was not enough to prevent an 88-79 defeat to Lithuania in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/orlando-magic/eurobasket-news-franz-wagner-leads-germany-into-eurobasket-quarterfinals">Round of 16 at FIBA EuroBasket 2025</a>.</p><p>Porzingis finished with game-highs across nearly every statistical category, posting 34 points, 19 rebounds, two blocks, one steal and one assist in 33 minutes of action. He shot 10-for-22 from the field, 4-for-8 from three-point range and 10-for-15 from the free throw line, recording an efficiency rating of 39.</p><p>The 7-foot-3 center’s effort kept Latvia competitive throughout a physical contest against one of Europe’s perennial basketball powers. Despite Porzingis’ individual dominance, Lithuania’s balanced scoring and defensive adjustments proved decisive in the fourth quarter.</p><p>Latvia also received a strong showing from guard Rihards Lomazs, who contributed 21 points and seven rebounds. Lomazs shot 8-for-17 from the field and 4-for-9 from long distance, finishing with an efficiency rating of 19 in 35 minutes. The backcourt scoring helped relieve pressure from Porzingis, though Lithuania maintained control late to seal the victory.</p><p>For Porzingis, the Round of 16 matchup capped off a productive tournament. Through five games in the group stage, he averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, two assists and 1.6 blocks per contest. He shot 47.3% from the floor and 87.9% from the free throw line in 26 minutes per game. He closed the opening round with an efficiency rating of 17.4 and a plus/minus of 7.4, helping Latvia secure a 3-2 record in Group A.</p><h2><b>Kristaps Porzingis shifts focus to Hawks after Latvia’s EuroBasket exit</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kristaps-Porzingis-free-throw.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Latvia’s run in the group stage placed them behind Türkiye, which finished a perfect 5-0 led by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/eurobasket-news-alperen-sengun-thing-clear-nikola-jokic-win">Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun</a>, and Serbia, which went 4-1 with Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic anchoring the roster. The competitive pool underscored the challenge Latvia faced heading into the knockout rounds.</p><p>Lithuania, meanwhile, advances to the quarterfinals and awaits the winner of Greece and Israel. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/eurobasket-news-greek-coach-giannis-antetokounmpo-officiating-luka-doncic-comparison">Greece enters the matchup with a 4-1 record behind Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo</a>, while Israel holds a 3-2 mark led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija. The quarterfinal will be played Tuesday, with Lithuania seeking to continue its push for a medal.</p><p>For Porzingis, the early exit provides an opportunity to shift his focus back to the NBA. He will enter his first season with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/why-hawks-made-right-choice-kristaps-porzingis-trade">Hawks after being traded from the Boston Celtics</a> earlier this offseason. Atlanta acquired the veteran big man as part of a broader effort to reshape its roster, which has also included the additions of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Caleb Houstan.</p><p>Porzingis will look to carry his summer form into the 2025-26 campaign. His ability to stretch the floor with his shooting, protect the rim and rebound at a high level makes him a key piece for Atlanta’s aspirations in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>The Hawks open their season on Oct. 22 at State Farm Arena, hosting the Toronto Raptors. Porzingis is expected to play a central role as Atlanta looks to climb the standings with a retooled roster built around star guard Trae Young and its newest frontcourt anchor.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kristaps Porzingis appears to be in mid-season form despite EuroBasket loss to Lithuania

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/ncaa-football/oklahoma-football-news-trae-young-michigan-sooners');   ga('set', 'title', 'Trae Young hits Michigan with ‘Oklahoma by 50’ take');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Trae-Young-laughs.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Trae Young hits Michigan with ‘Oklahoma by 50’ take</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T09:34:28-07:00">September 6th, 9:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-06T09:34:28-07:00">September 6th, 9:34am</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It wasn’t just<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/oklahoma-football-news-pat-mcafee-fire-up-fans-michigan-clash"> Pat McAfee hyping up Oklahoma to defeat Michigan</a>. A famed Oklahoma alum is also pulling for the Sooners to come out on top, NBA player Trae Young.</p><p>Before Saturday’s game, the former Oklahoma basketball standout pulled out all the stops. Even <a href="https://x.com/Mason_Young_0/status/1964359333061259728" rel="noopener">made a strong prediction</a> for the outcome of the game, per Mason Young of Tulsa World.</p><p>“Sooners by 50, man. Let’s go.”</p><p>Furthermore, Young appeared on ESPN’s College GameDay to <a href="https://x.com/CollegeGameDay/status/1964361691367456932" rel="noopener">boast about his alma mater</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"BOOMER‼️ SOONER‼️"</p><p>No doubt who Trae Young was rockin with on GameDay 💪 <a href="https://t.co/XYihtwgrof">pic.twitter.com/XYihtwgrof</a></p><p>— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollegeGameDay/status/1964361691367456932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>From 2017-2018, Young played at Oklahoma. That year, he averaged 27.4 points, 8.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. Furthermore, he shot 42% from the field and 86.1% from the free throw line.</p><p>Oklahoma finished the year with a record of 18-14 and 8-10 in the Big 12. Ultimately, the Sooners lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Rhode Island.</p><p>That year, Young was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks as the fifth overall pick. Since then, he has become a four-time NBA All-Star.</p><h2><b>Trae Young is forever linked with Oklahoma</b></h2><p>Despite being in Atlanta, his heart is very much in Oklahoma having grown up in Norman. Prior to Saturday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/oklahoma-football-news-trae-young-reacts-college-gameday-guest-michigan">Young expressed sheer enthusiasm</a> at being selected as a guest for College GameDay.</p><p>“What’s up, y’all, it’s Trae Young here, excited to welcome y’all to my hometown, my home city of Norman, Oklahoma and be this weekend’s celebrity guest picker on College GameDay,” Young said. “Just a week after Lee Corso decided to hang it up, we got that team from up north coming down here, and I’m not worried at all. I’m ready to set the tone. I know Sooner fans are ready to set the tone, so we know what we gotta do. Boomer f****** Sooner!”</p><p>Recently,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-trae-young-gives-inside-look-oklahoma-basketball-job"> Young was brought on as assistant general manger</a> for the basketball program. Additionally, he provided a $1 million donation to the program.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Trae Young hits Michigan with ‘Oklahoma by 50’ take

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/eurobasket-news-slovenia-france-game-ends-in-bizarre-manner');   ga('set', 'title', 'Slovenia-France EuroBasket game ends in bizarre manner');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Slovenia-France-game-ends-in-bizarre-manner-.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Slovenia-France EuroBasket game ends in bizarre manner</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-30T11:56:58-07:00">August 30th, 11:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-30T11:56:58-07:00">August 30th, 11:56am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/eurobasket-news-watch-luka-doncic-drop-stunning-ankle-breaker">Group D clash between Slovenia and France at EuroBasket 2025</a> ended in chaos Friday after the final buzzer when a routine postgame handshake <a href="https://x.com/BSphere_/status/1961840584533897427" rel="noopener">turned into a brawl</a>.</p><p>As the last seconds ticked away in France’s 103-95 victory, players from both teams began shaking hands at midcourt. Among them was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/eurobasket-news-luka-doncic-2025-26-mvp-candidate">Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic</a>, who exchanged a handshake with Sylvain Francisco. Moments later, Francisco picked up the ball from the floor and drove for a layup despite the game having already been decided. The act triggered a scuffle involving multiple players from both sides.</p><p>The incident overshadowed what had been a strong performance from Francisco, who carried France offensively. The guard finished with a team-high 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists while shooting 9-for-15 from the field. He went a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line in just 25 minutes and posted an efficiency rating of 40.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">WOW, what a situation. 😱😱😱</p><p>France and Slovenia players started to shake hands, and then Sylvain Francisco picked up the ball from the floor and went for a layup, which led to a brawl.</p><p>CRAZY MOMENT IN KATOWICE.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroBasket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroBasket2025?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroBasket2025</a> <a href="https://t.co/7kb6GTEuJV">pic.twitter.com/7kb6GTEuJV</a></p><p>— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BSphere_/status/1961840584533897427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Slovenia-France ends in scuffle after Luka Doncic, Sylvain Francisco exchange at EuroBasket 2025</b></h2><p>Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly added 13 points and four rebounds, while Wizards center Alexandre Sarr chipped in 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher scored 12 points with two rebounds, and New York Knicks forward Guerschon Yabusele contributed six points and seven boards.</p><p>For Slovenia, Doncic delivered a near triple-double in a losing effort. The five-time NBA All-Star recorded a game-high 39 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and two steals. He shot 8-for-20 from the field, connected on four of 10 attempts from beyond the arc, and made 19 of 20 free throws. His efficiency rating matched Francisco’s at 40.</p><p>The loss dropped Slovenia to 0-2 in group play, leaving the team searching for its first victory of the tournament. Slovenia will face Belgium on Sunday in hopes of turning its campaign around.</p><p>France improved to 2-0 with the win and will look to extend its perfect start against Israel on Sunday.</p><p>The bizarre finish added controversy to what had otherwise been a competitive matchup between two of Europe’s top basketball nations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Slovenia-France EuroBasket game ends in bizarre manner

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-zaccharie-risacher-trae-young-connection-growth-entering-year-2');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Zaccharie Risacher’s special Trae Young ‘connection’ fuels growth entering Year 2');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Zaccharie-Risacher_ab22eb.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How Zaccharie Risacher’s special Trae Young ‘connection’ fuels growth entering Year 2</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-29T09:26:06-07:00">August 29th, 9:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-29T09:26:06-07:00">August 29th, 9:26am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Zaccharie <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-zaccharie-risacher-reveals-rookie-season-mindset">Risacher is going into his second season</a> in the league, and his rookie year was nothing short of amazing for what he brought to the Atlanta Hawks. He came into a position that many No. 1 overall picks don’t, and instead of having so much pressure on him to succeed, he was able to let the game come to him and support the other established players around him.</p><p>One of those established players around Risacher was Trae Young, who probably made his rookie season easier than ever.  Rischer recently spoke about that connection he had with Young and <a href="https://basketnews.com/news-230190-zaccharie-risacher-reacts-to-hawks-landing-porzingis-praises-trae-young.html" rel="noopener">is excited to get back</a> on the court with him, according to Pijus Sapetka of Basketnews.</p><p>“I feel like we established a connection during the year,” Risacher said. “Honestly, it was great for me to play with him. Obviously, he’s one of the best passers in the league. I feel like I was lucky to start in the NBA, my rookie season with him by my side. Yeah, just a great guy outside the court, too. It’s exciting to see him again in September.”</p><p>With the attention that Young requires when he’s on the court, he makes the game easier for his teammates. Not to forget to mention, but he’s also one of the best playmakers in the league. It’s one of the reasons why Risacher was able to average 12.6 points in his rookie season, and his shooting numbers continued to rise as the year continued.</p><p>Risacher is primed to take another step this season, and he’s getting reps in before the season starts playing for France in the EuroBasket.</p><h2><b>Zaccharie Risacher is excited about new additions to Hawks</b></h2><p>Outside of the growth that many are expecting from Risacher in his second season, the Hawks made some moves in the offseason to improve the team. The first thing they did was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/kristaps-porzingis-trade-grade-hawks-celtics-deal">trade for Kristaps Porzingis</a>, and Risacher <a href="https://basketnews.com/news-230190-zaccharie-risacher-reacts-to-hawks-landing-porzingis-praises-trae-young.html" rel="noopener">shared his thoughts</a> on the move.</p><p>“I feel like it’s going to be great. I talked to him a little bit, and he seems like a great guy,” Risacher said. “But honestly, I’m more focused on the Euro for now.”</p><p>Risacher will also be playing with new teammates such as Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard this season, which should be a huge jump for the team as they plan on being one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Zaccharie Risacher’s special Trae Young ‘connection’ fuels growth entering Year 2

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/eurobasket-news-kristaps-porzingis-rudely-welcomed-tournament-savage-poster');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kristaps Porzingis rudely welcomed to EuroBasket tournament by savage poster');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Porzingis-defends.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kristaps Porzingis rudely welcomed to EuroBasket tournament by savage poster</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-27T10:26:53-07:00">August 27th, 10:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-27T10:26:53-07:00">August 27th, 10:26am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Stars of both the NBA and the international basketball world are currently taking part <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/eurobasket-news-giannis-gets-no-limitations-declaration-greece-coach">in the EuroBasket tournament</a>, representing their various European countries. Among them are NBA MVP candidates like Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic, as well as one of this summer’s biggest trade acquisitions <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-kristaps-porzingis-not-closing-door-possible-huge-europe-move">in Kristaps Porzingis</a>, who was traded from the Boston Celtics to the Atlanta Hawks in June.</p><p>Porzingis is representing his native Latvia in the tournament, and unfortunately, the big man didn’t have the greatest start to his stint at EuroBasket this year, as he was put on a poster by Sehmus Hazer of Turkey in a moment that <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1960727364813328780" rel="noopener">quickly went viral</a> on social media.</p><p>https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1960729435923210647</p><p>(Video via EuroBasket’s account on X, formerly Twitter).</p><p>Fans in the comments were astonished by the dramatic dunk, as one might expect.</p><p>“Bad day for tingus pingus,” wrote one fan, referencing a viral meme that one New York Knicks fan created when Porzingis was drafted there back in 2015.</p><h2><b>Is Kristaps Porzingis still elite?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Porzingis-vs-the-Hawks-1.jpg"><figcaption>Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Last year, Kristaps Porzingis ultimately became unplayable in the playoffs due to a mystery illness that had lingered from the end of the regular season on into the postseason. Boston desperately needed something out of Porzingis while they were stuck in the mud in their eventual second round loss to the New York Knicks, but the Latvian big man wasn’t able to conjure up much of anything besides bricked threes and missed defensive rotations.</p><p>Perhaps that brutal showing was why Porzingis’ trade value was so low this summer, as the Hawks were able to acquire him for the low price of Georges Niang and Terance Mann. The good news for Hawks fans is that, Wednesday’s poster dunk aside, Porzingis has looked fully like the normal version of himself for the most part during exhibition games leading up to the EuroBasket tournament.</p><p>When healthy, Porzingis figures to be the ideal center to play alongside Trae Young, able to protect the rim on one end and stretch the floor with his shooting on the other.</p><p>If Porzingis can stay on the floor in 2025-26, the Hawks may have gotten themselves a bargain.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kristaps Porzingis rudely welcomed to EuroBasket tournament by savage poster

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-jalen-johnson-spotted-working-out-lebron-james');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks’ Jalen Johnson spotted working out with LeBron James');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jalen-Johnson_10f668.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hawks’ Jalen Johnson spotted working out with LeBron James</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-25T08:57:18-07:00">August 25th, 8:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-25T08:57:18-07:00">August 25th, 8:57am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Hawks have a lot of things to be excited about this season. It’s safe to say they had one of the best offseasons in the league, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/why-hawks-made-right-choice-kristaps-porzingis-trade">acquiring Kristaps Porzingis in a trade</a> with the Boston Celtics, and then landing Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard in a trade. The team also has a young core to build around, with Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels expected to take another leap this upcoming season.</p><p>Outside of Trae Young, another player that the Hawks’ success will hinge on is Jalen Johnson, who missed most of the season last year after suffering a shoulder injury. This offseason, Johnson has been putting in work, and he was <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1959809511444926529" rel="noopener">recently spotted working out</a> with LeBron James.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jalen Johnson putting in work with LeBron James 🔥</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ATLHawks</a>) <a href="https://t.co/ZRTXsnKWuS">pic.twitter.com/ZRTXsnKWuS</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1959809511444926529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Johnson worked out with James last offseason as well, and he might’ve picked the best person to be in the gym with. James is not one of the best to play the game of basketball, but he and Johnson have similar play styles when it comes to being a point forward.</p><p>Before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-jalen-johnson-gets-brutally-honest-his-injury-absence">Johnson went down with the injury</a> last season, he was doing it all for the Hawks on both sides of the ball. He was also putting up stats that only a few players in the league had, and he was on his way to possibly winning the Most Improved Award.</p><h2><b>Jalen Johnson’s health is a key factor for Hawks success</b></h2><p>The Hawks were the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and were playing some of their best basketball before Johnson was hurt. They were still able to put themselves in a position to try and make the playoffs at the end of the season, but lost twice in the Play-In Tournament. This year, they’ve added some key players, but if Johnson can stay healthy and continue to take the next steps in his game, this team could be one of the best in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>Johnson has had a few injuries throughout the past two seasons, and many haven’t been able to see what a full season with him and Young would look like. For the most part, when they have been on the floor together, it looks like a seamless fit, but how successful the pair could be late in the season and in the playoffs could mean a lot.</p><p>All eyes will be on how the Hawks perform this season, and how Johnson will prove to be a key factor for the team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks’ Jalen Johnson spotted working out with LeBron James

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/gaming/atlanta-hawks-nba-2k26-ratings-100-wrong');   ga('set', 'title', 'Atlanta Hawks NBA 2K26 ratings that are 100% wrong');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Atlanta-Hawks-NBA-2K26-ratings-that-are-100-wrong.jpg"></figure><h1>Atlanta Hawks NBA 2K26 ratings that are 100% wrong</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-25T05:21:24-07:00">August 25th, 5:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-25T05:21:24-07:00">August 25th, 5:21am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Hawks enter the 2025-26 NBA season looking like one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/atlanta-hawks-perfect-move-in-2025-nba-offseason">Eastern Conference’s most improved teams</a>. They added size, shooting, and defensive versatility while keeping their franchise cornerstone intact. Yet, NBA 2K26 seems to have gotten its ratings completely wrong. From underestimating key contributors to overvaluing certain role players, the ratings fail to reflect the Hawks’ actual roster strength and potential.</p><p>Let’s break down where NBA 2K26 missed the mark, focusing on five players whose ratings simply don’t add up.</p><h2><b>Trae Young: Underrated at 90 OVR</b></h2><p>Trae Young is the heartbeat of the Hawks’ franchise, and his overall rating of 90 feels like a lowball. This player has consistently been among the league’s top offensive engines, capable of bending defenses with his deep shooting, elite playmaking, and clutch scoring.</p><p>His 85 three-point rating doesn’t capture the level of difficulty of the shots he takes. Unlike catch-and-shoot specialists, Young creates his looks off the dribble against heavy defensive coverage. NBA 2K26 undervalues the gravity he generates, and that should be reflected in his rating.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Trae Young is a 90 OVR 👀</p><p>Thoughts? <a href="https://t.co/TExYtMOIAJ">https://t.co/TExYtMOIAJ</a></p><p>— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1957851113148781038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Additionally, his badge count, just 16, is a questionable call. Young’s ability to create offense for himself and others is elite, and he should easily sit closer to a 93-94 OVR given his role as a top-five offensive engine in the league.</p><h2><b>Kristaps Porziņģis: Overrated at 85 OVR</b></h2><p>On the other end of the spectrum is Kristaps Porziņģis, whose 85 OVR seems too generous. While the Latvian big man is still a skilled scorer and shot-blocker, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-kristaps-porzingis-perfect-scenario-atlanta">durability remains his biggest issue</a>. Injuries have kept him from stringing together long stretches of dominance, and at this stage, projecting him as a borderline star is wishful thinking.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="lv">Representing Team Latvia: Kristaps Porziņģis 🇱🇻🦄 <a href="https://t.co/dkduga33sz">pic.twitter.com/dkduga33sz</a></p><p>— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1953144864717062420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>His 86 three-point rating is fair given his floor-spacing ability, but his defensive mobility and ability to stay on the court are questionable. If availability is the best ability, then 2K has inflated his value. An 82-83 OVR would better capture the reality of what he can bring night in and night out.</p><h2><b>Jalen Johnson: Underrated at 81 OVR</b></h2><p>Perhaps the most glaring miss is Jalen Johnson’s 81 OVR. Johnson broke out last season with his versatility, athleticism, and ability to thrive in multiple roles. He can push the ball in transition, finish above the rim, and defend across multiple positions.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="da">Jalen Johnson is an 81 OVR????? <a href="https://t.co/GmT7YWa4pO">pic.twitter.com/GmT7YWa4pO</a></p><p>— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1956778388586221607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Yet, 2K26 has him rated the same as Zaccharie Risacher, which is disrespectful given Johnson’s actual production at the NBA level. His 96 dunk rating is accurate, but his offensive growth, passing, and defensive versatility suggest a player closer to an 84-85 OVR.</p><p>Johnson is the kind of player 2K often undervalues because he doesn’t have a traditional “star” profile, but his impact is far greater than the rating reflects.</p><h2><b>Zaccharie Risacher: Overrated at 81 OVR</b></h2><p>While Johnson is underrated, Risacher is overrated. Giving him an 81 OVR places him on par with established players who have already proven themselves at this level.</p><p>Yes, Risacher has the tools: at 6-foot-10 with a smooth jumper and defensive potential, he projects as a future two-way wing star. But NBA 2K26 is jumping the gun by rating him this high right away.</p><p>A more reasonable starting point would be 78 OVR, allowing him to climb as the season progresses.</p><h2><b>Luke Kennard: Underrated at 77 OVR</b></h2><p>Finally, we get to Luke Kennard, whose 77 OVR criminally underrates his value as one of the best shooters in the league. Kennard shot over 43% from three in <a href="https://www.espn.in/nba/player/_/id/3913174/luke-kennard" rel="noopener">recent seasons</a>, and his 87 three-point rating actually might not even be high enough. He’s one of the few role players whose spacing can completely alter the geometry of a lineup, opening lanes for slashers like Jalen Johnson and finishers like Okongwu.</p><p>Beyond the shooting, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-gm-gushes-over-great-connector-after-11-million-move">Kennard has developed into a sneaky good</a> secondary playmaker. While his defense limits him, his offensive value as an elite specialist should push him into the 79-80 OVR range.</p><h2><b>Other ratings that missed the mark</b></h2><p>Beyond the five biggest examples, several other Hawks players also seem misjudged: Onyeka Okongwu (81 OVR) is fair, but his elite defense and rim protection might justify an 82-83. Meanwhile, Nickeil Alexander-Walker (79 OVR) should be higher <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-nickeil-alexander-walkers-high-hopes-defensive-partnership-dyson-daniels">given his two-way value</a>. 80 OVR fits better. In addition, Vit Krejci (76 OVR), his 86 three-point rating feels inflated for a role player who hasn’t proven consistent production.</p><p>These smaller discrepancies add up, creating a picture of a roster that 2K26 simply doesn’t evaluate fairly.</p><h2><b>Why 2K26 got the Hawks wrong</b></h2><p>Part of the issue is that 2K tends to lag behind narrative momentum. The Hawks are not seen as contenders, so players who overachieved last season didn’t get the recognition they deserved in the ratings. At the same time, big names like Porziņģis and flashy players like Risacher got the benefit of the doubt.</p><p>The result? A skewed roster that doesn’t reflect the Hawks’ actual depth, balance, and potential. Atlanta’s mix of shooting, defense, and athleticism makes them much more dangerous than their NBA 2K26 roster suggests. The Atlanta Hawks’ NBA 2K26 ratings are riddled with mistakes. Trae Young is underrated, Porziņģis and Risacher are overrated, and role players like Jalen Johnson and Luke Kennard aren’t given their due credit.</p><p>For a team that had one of the most active and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/atlanta-hawks-2025-nba-free-agency-grades-every-signing">successful offseasons in the league</a>, NBA 2K26 is still stuck in last year’s narrative. The Hawks may not be title favorites yet, but their roster deserves far more respect than what these ratings suggest.</p><p>If anything, these missteps highlight just how much Atlanta will have to prove on the court this season, not just to opponents, but also to the 2K developers who continue to underestimate them.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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AtlantaHawks NEWS

Hawks News: Get the latest Atlanta Hawks news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Hawks News

Celtics’ Jaylen Brown gives cryptic take on playing for hometown Hawks

Hawks rumors: Insider gives ‘murky’ warning on Trae Young’s future

Hawks’ Trae Young reveals his unique approach to avoiding ankle injuries with Zamst braces

Hawks’ Kristaps Porzingis still has scouts uneasy despite EuroBasket performance

Trae Young says Hawks are ready to ‘compete for a championship’ [Exclusive]

Kristaps Porzingis appears to be in mid-season form despite EuroBasket loss to Lithuania

Trae Young hits Michigan with ‘Oklahoma by 50’ take

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• Kristaps Porzingis rudely welcomed to EuroBasket tournament by savage poster

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Atlanta
Hawks NEWS