Vol. 1 No. 7 — October 9th, 2019

Welcome to the seventh edition of the Rathbun Roundball Report, Subscriber First Name!

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Atlanta Hawks Rookies

One of the fun parts of the NBA’s pre-season is getting a look at the rookies in real NBA games against real NBA competition.

For the Hawks, that means keeping close watch on their two lottery picks from last summer, DeAndre’ Hunter and Cam Reddish.

Hunter was the number four overall selection in the draft. He scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, 2-of-4 from three in just under 25 minutes in his first exhibition game Monday night against the Pelicans.

He seemed smooth and engaged right from the start. A few rookie hiccups are to be expected, and many NBA observers are excited to see him progress through the season.

Reddish was the 10th player chosen. He shot the three-ball very well Monday night, and that may be just one aspect of his arsenal. Cam dropped a nice pass that led to an Alex Len dunk.

Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce said this about his rookies in his post-game news conference:

“I thought Dre and Cam … Cam comes in and turns it over on his first touch and that was his only turnover. I thought he settled in…he got his shot blocked on the second possession. But after that, I thought he played a beautiful game.”

“He was in rhythm on his jump-shots, was efficient moving. It was good to see that. I didn’t know what to expect of him after that first (play), but I thought he came in, was very efficient from there on.”

“De’Andre makes his first shot, a nice little shot fake to a two-dribble pull up. After that, he settled in. One of his development areas will be using the basketball, playing pick-and-roll, facilitating. He’s used to one or two dribbles and then getting off the basketball.”

“I think he has more to offer. That’s just something he’s going to grow in over time. Catch-and-shoot he’s pretty good. Guys were closing out to him and he was able to put the ball on the floor and make plays. He gets a dunk, just a catch in transition…he was great with his rhythm three’s. Make or miss, he looked good and comfortable doing it.”

Zion Williamson

Dominating the Pelicans story line from Monday’s game in Atlanta was the debut of the heralded #1 pick, Zion Williamson. He, too, had great moments with powerful dunks, sweet off ball movement, and a genuine zest for the game.

But Zion also showed that rookie mistakes affect everyone, and Zion had his share.

My overall takeaway was this: it was beautiful to watch such young players play in their first NBA game with such poise and skill. It was just amazing to me to see such athleticism on display. It will be a joy to watch these guys compete at the highest level this season and in the years to come.

Atlanta Native debuts on the Orlando Magic Roster

Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks host the Orlando Magic in an NBA pre-season game.

New to the Magic is Atlanta native Al Farouq Aminu. Very quietly, he’s carved out a lengthy career, one of the best for an Atlanta-area high school product.

The Aminu family descends from a line of Nigerian Kings. The name Al-Farouq means “the chief has arrived”.

His older brother, Alade, was a 2010 D-League All-Star with Erie and Bakersfield and signed a 10-day contract with Miami on Mar. 28, 2010.

Al Farouq received the 2016-17 Maurice Lucas Award, given to the member of the Portland Trail Blazers who best represents the “indomitable spirit” of Lucas through contributions on the court and in the community.

As a member of the Nigerian National Team, he played in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. While in Atlanta, he led Norcross High School to back-to-back Georgia 5A state championships in 2006-07 and 2007-08. As a senior (2007-08), was named a McDonald’s All-American and played in the Jordan Brand Classic.

He’s with his fifth different NBA team, but Al Farouq Aminu is putting together a solid career, one of the best for an Atlanta-area high school product.

Million Meals Packed at State Farm Arena

Last weekend, the Hawks and State Farm staged quite an event. 5,000 volunteers gathered at State Farm Arena to pack over one million meals in the largest community initiative in the franchise’s 51-year history.

Hawks Principal Owners Tony Ressler and Jami Gertz, State Farm Senior Vice President Dan Krause, Hawks CEO Steve Koonin, and NBA Hall of Famer and Hawks Legend Dominique Wilkins were joined by Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) to welcome and thank participants earlier in the day for donating their time in support of the Million Meal Pack.

Hawks players, Vince Carter, Trae Young, John Collins, and De’Andre Hunter, along with Head Coach Lloyd Pierce closed out the final meal packing shift alongside volunteers reaching a final count of 1,020,672 meals.

The six 90-minute shifts of the event yielded:

• 170,112 bags of food

• 131,128 pounds of food

• 3,544 boxes of food

• 288 meals per box

• 48 bags per box

• 37 pounds per box

Every meal packed will be distributed by six local organizations serving various constituencies throughout metro Atlanta

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