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The Atlanta Hawks' first-round draft pick, Asa Newell, held his press conference with local media after being drafted by the team. There are a lot of things for Newell to be excited about as he comes to a young team that is looking to compete in the Eastern Conference for years to come, and they have the talent to do so.
One player on the Hawks who will help elevate Newell's game is Trae Young, who was present at the rookie's press conference. Newell was asked about Young, and he mentioned that he had already spoken to the star point guard.
“He was the first person to call me,” Newell said.
Last season, Young had the responsibility of leading the young guys on the team, and he did a good job on and off the court. He'll have somebody else this time around to help, and Newell knows the qualities that Young can bring to the court, which can get him easy looks.
“I feel like Trae is an extremely talented point guard,” Newell said. “He can knock down shots and is a tremendous passer. I feel like I can catch a lot of lobs from him.”
With Newell's skillset, there's a good chance that he catches a lot of lobs from Young in the future, especially with his athletic ability.
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Hawks excited for the growth of Asa Newell
Outside of what Newell can bring to the court with his skills, it's his mentality and it's who he is as a person that also made them fall in love with him as a prospect.
“His growth and development is a process where we don't like to rush anything,” general manager Onsi Saleh said. “I trust Quin, and he's going to lead the development of this group. We got a player that is a hard worker. He's a winning player; he makes winning plays. You can see the freak athlete, and he does all these different things, but the court, he's a winner.
“That's what we're trying to do here. Bring in guys that want to win; they compete, and we're so fortunate to get him.”
Newell will be another addition to the Hawks' frontcourt, which has had some improvements over the past week. The day before the Hawks drafted Newell, they traded for Kristaps Porzingis, who can stretch the floor and be a strong rim protector.
So far, the Hawks have started their offseason well, and they will continue to add more talent as free agency approaches.
