Mr. Buzzer Beater aka The Rook aka AJ Griff

[Spud2nique]

Clutch..

vs Raps

 

vs Bulls

 

[macdaddy]

twice in one season catching a lob with under 1 second for the win.  that's just crazy.   And what a pass by Jalen.

[JeffS17]

He has great body control and touch around the rim.  You see it in his step throughs as well.  I think he will be a future borderline all-star starter for us, at worst.

[Dnice]

Not even the regular type jumpshot, iso type beaters.

[marco102]

Look at his explosive movement here.  

 

He's def getting that athleticism back. 

[ShooterSays]

4 minutes ago, marco102 said:

Look at his explosive movement here.  

 

He's def getting that athleticism back. 

Good to see. I was watching some high school highlights of him the other day and he was jumping out of the gym every play.

[Spud2nique]

The Hawks executed a perfect play in the final seconds of overtime of that contest to set up Griffin with the game-winning layup. Trae Young maneuvered past four Raptors players and then floated the ball up to Griffin and the rookie tossed the ball in off the glass to beat the horn. He became the first rookie to have multiple game-winning buzzer-beaters in the same season since Toni Kukoc during the 1993-94 season.He is also the first Hawks player over the last 25 seasons to accomplish that feat. “He has confidence in himself,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “He works hard. When he has a rhythm as he did tonight, you want to try to get that ball in his hands because he can shoot the ball and make plays, and tonight he did. That play was the biggest of the game tonight.”

 

– via The Rookie Wire

[AHF]

I am just loving what I've seen from AJ this year.  You know a rook is going to have rough nights and get worked by vets.  That is just life as a teenager playing against men.  But there has been so many positive moments and growth in such a short period of time.  Your boy is making you proud, @Spud2nique!

Also, does anyone know how many buzzer-beaters Kukoc had as a rookie?  Wanting to see how many Griff needs to pass him.

[JayBirdHawk]

@AHF

AJ - 475 total minutes 

JHol - 342 total minutes.

[AHF]

1 minute ago, JayBirdHawk said:

@AHF

AJ - 475 total minutes 

JHol - 342 total minutes.

I'm thrilled to not even be concerned about that anymore.  After the first nine games moving along at a 3.8 mpg pace aka a full season 310 minute pace, the training wheels have come off and AJ has joined the rotation.  He is there to stay.

[Spud2nique]

14 minutes ago, AHF said:

I am just loving what I've seen from AJ this year.  You know a rook is going to have rough nights and get worked by vets.  That is just life as a teenager playing against men.  But there has been so many positive moments and growth in such a short period of time.  Your boy is making you proud, @Spud2nique!

Also, does anyone know how many buzzer-beaters Kukoc had as a rookie?  Wanting to see how many Griff needs to pass him.

Honestly, I didn’t think he’d be as good as he is…definitely not this soon. I guess I was used to the Cam and our other rookies developments from the past. Ya, he’s been tremendous for sure, very clutch and saavy.

[Dnice]

AKA Professor Griff.      

[Dnice]

@AHF I've heard AJ tied Kukoc with 2.

[Gray Mule]

Talent + hard work = our very own rookie!

Parents are both very athletic.  AJ inherited from both sides of his family.  He has worked very hard to overcome various injuries and seems to be 100% healthy.  

In my opinion, Jalen Johnson didn't play enough minutes last season to disqualify him from rookie status.  Therefore, rookie to rookie = winning play against the Bulls!

[JayBirdHawk]

Hawks' Nate McMillan reveals on-court goals for AJ Griffin

 

Hawks coach Nate McMillan explained his role at this stage of the season.

All we’re asking of him is to come out and play hard. He is going to make some mistakes. We’re looking for him on the perimeter and will continue to do that. He is learning defensive coverages. Playing at the two, the three position, there is a difference in the players you’re guarding.

You’re guarding a lot more pick and rolls at that two position and then you’re guarding guys that are coming off of pin downs at that three position. All of this is new to him and we just want him to keep working and getting that experience out there on the floor and knocking down shots.

 

 

Hawks news: Nate McMillan reveals on-court goals for AJ Griffin (usatoday.com)

[Plainview1981]

One of the few highlights this season.

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, Plainview1981 said:

One of the few highlights this season.

[ShooterSays]

Up to 6th in the rookie ladder! -

https://www.nba.com/news/kia-rookie-ladder-dec-14-2022-edition

"If the newly christened Kia Rookie of the Year trophy is named after Wilt Chamberlain and the newly created award for clutch performances carries Jerry West’s name, then Atlanta newbie AJ Griffin might be in line for some combo variation. Let’s call it the Wilt West trophy.

What, you prefer Jerry Chamberlain instead?

Griffin has many rungs to climb still to reach the top of the Kia Rookie Ladder, but he’s making progress. Especially given his buzzer-beater Sunday to beat Chicago in overtime — it was the 6-foot-6 guard’s second such thrill play of the season.

Back on Nov. 19, Griffin got behind the Toronto defense, took a last-ditch lead pass from Trae Young and converted his layup while in the air to beat the Raptors. This time, his finish against the Bulls was even more improbable: he looped toward the basket for separation from defender Derrick Jones Jr., caught Jalen Johnson’s inbounds lob and twisted himself for the winning layup, all with :00.5 seconds on the clock.

Pandemonium ensued after the third lead change in the game’s final second.

Griffin by no means is a finished NBA product. His shooting has trended in the wrong direction as the season has played out. And of course, at 19 he’s the third youngest player in the league.

But he does have the pedigree, with those 39 games at Duke last season, and the bloodline as the son of former NBA guard (current Raptors assistant) Adrian Griffin. As the No. 16 pick in June, he has a number of rival teams either second-guessing their selections or wishing Griffin had slid just a little.

He has moved into the starting lineup in Dejounte Murray’s injury absence and upped his role to 28.5 minutes per game, getting up more than 13 shots nightly. He has made at least one 3-pointer in his past 13 games.

And for the record, Griffin is the first rookie since Chicago’s Toni Kukoc in 1993-94 to have multiple game-winning buzzer beaters, according to ESPN Stats. Add Andrew Nembhard’s decisive shot to beat the Lakers in L.A. a couple of weeks ago and the Class of 2022 is looking pretty good on late-impact plays."

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]