Welcome to the Hawks, Seth Lundy

[Spud2nique]

12 minutes ago, h4wkfan said:

likely for the reason @Spud2niquementioned (+ age). 

You can say it. Buff lil bod. He has problems too, him and @kg01 both have issues scratching their backs. It’s quite annoying.

[bleachkit]

Rooting for him. But unless he's a plus defender it's tough for these guys to stick in the league. 

[RedDawg#8]

1 hour ago, bleachkit said:

Rooting for him. But unless he's a plus defender it's tough for these guys to stick in the league. 

With the amount of wings on this roster, we are really just taking a flier on the kid. Unless we make some moves, keeping him on board just for the GLeague isn’t even a guarantee. 
 

Its a numbers game for us now.

[Gray Mule]

More and more the NBA is becoming a three point shooting league.  Shots at the rim are great.  Everyone gets all revved up when a big thunder dunk happens.  

If a player is capable of masking a good % of his shots from downtown he will surely find a place on most any NBA team today.  As we read the posts and see the film, we are told, "This player can score!"  All rookies coming into the NBA need some polish on their game.  Some more than others.  But, a player that can shoot - - He can always shoot!

[JayBirdHawk]

The Hawks took Seth Lundy with the 46th pick, here's my scouting report + thoughts about his potential fit with the Hawks. 6'5 with a 6'10 wingspan, 214 pounds

14.2 PPG/6.3 RPG/0.9 APG/0.8 SPG/0.6 BPG/0.9 TOV 45 FG%/ 40 3P%/ 80.7 FT%

STRENGTHS

Played 4 years at Penn State, with a reputation as a leader and dedicated player. Saw a lot of Penn State fans saying he's always locked in. Never tries to do too much, is very aware of his role. I think Lundy's intangibles are a big need for the Hawks. He plays with heart and passion, and his motor is top tier.

There were too many lackadaiscal moments this year and he could be a jolt of energy for the entire roster because of his competitiveness. I have no doubts about his work ethic and whether he'll work on his game. Absolutely lethal shooter. Shot 41.3% on 179 catch and shoot 3-point attempts this season. Jumps really high and uses that 6'10 wingspan to elevate over contests. Can quicken his release without losing his mechanics. Caused havoc flying off of pindowns and flares, and was really good shooting on the move in general. His one-dribble sidesteps and stepbacks are super smooth, and a great counter against an aggressive closeout.

Showed some deep range as well. Teams can't go under on handoffs involving him, so he got easy buckets just by cutting to the basket. Capable shooter off the bounce (43.5% on pull-ups, 36.5% on pull-up 3s) but is much better attacking an advantage rather than creating out of iso or PNR. His strong frame and length makes him well-suited for guarding bigger more physical wings. Can see him guarding guys with playstyles like Derozan and Jimmy Butler pretty well. Smart defender, and you never have to question his effort and how hard he'll work on that end. Had some nice strips on guys trying to go for layups.

 

WEAKNESSES

Lacks burst which impacts him on both ends. Can't keep up in space against shifty guys and struggled against quick rip throughs. Could still have some switching versatility on defense, but moreso 3s and 4s than 1-3.

Averaged less than 2 shots per game at the rim this seaosn, and shot 56.9% at the rim, which is underwhelming considering his length and the fact most of these were not self created. Isn't really an impactful defender in terms of not using all his length to be disruptive both on and off the ball.

He was one of Penn State's go to offensive options in his senior year, and was a more impactful defender in his junior year when his load was a little lighter, which is promising. Also he was willing to guard the best player on the floor and did it nearly every game.

He's a willing passer but really struggles with more dynamic reads, especially off the dribble and while attacking the rim. Has never shown great feel for this, and since he's 23, it may never develop. Good thing is he doesn't overextend himself and make a ton of bad decisions. A lot of scouts mentioned he really struggled with screen navigation, probably because he's kind of bulky. Gets caught trailing shooters because he got stuck on screens pretty frequently.

His defensive role is murky as a result, since he doesn't have great quickness or twitch, it's hard to see him guarding 1s and 2s in the NBA, while he doesn't have the height to be a consistent option against 4s. Fit w/ Hawks You can never have too much shooting, and you can think of Lundy as sort of a Gallo/Saddiq role but he's much more comfortable shooting on the move. I don't see him playing meaningful minutes this season, but I think his shooting would translate immediately. If he can get a little more flexible in his hips and find a more defined role on defense, he could step in as a viable 3 and D option in the next couple of seasons

[Diesel]

 

[NBASupes]

2 hours ago, Diesel said:

 

I like his temperament for a shooter. Even kneel like Kerr. 

[JayBirdHawk]

I'm really hoping he sticks with the Hawks!

 

 

[Gray Mule]

Three draft picks.  Two have signed.  This is the other one.  Do we keep him?  Or, is the "sweetner" in an upcoming trade, just to make it work?

Hawks have too many borderline players that may develop into useful pieces in the picture puzzle that is the Atlanta Hawks.  It's so hard to decide who goes and who stays.  Trading JC helped decide.  Future trades will have a bearing on who stays and who goes.

All NBA teams face this same problem in the summer.  I'm sure they will all watch to see who falls out when the cutting is done just to see if one of them fits with their team.  It's a never ending process.

So, the question:  What happens?

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Final_quest]

12 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

He's a contender.  If Bey and JJ leave, we're looking for options behind Bogi and AJ.  With the injury history of our wings, someone would need to emerge.  Garrison Matthews is the most experienced after Bogi, but Lundy sounds like he understands how to be a role player and can shoot.  

[Gray Mule]

Your opinion wanted:

How has Lundy looked in his Summer League play??

[NBASupes]

25 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Your opinion wanted:

How has Lundy looked in his Summer League play??

Up and down

[JayBirdHawk]

Nice, excited for him.

 

 

[Gray Mule]

Don't forget!  We have new Hawks who were drafted this summer that we will see in our upcoming pre-season games!!

[JayBirdHawk]

Call him up from the GL to shoot some 3s...send AJ down to get his confidence back.

 

 

[Gray Mule]

Hint:  If he can hit his shots with the Skyhawks, he can hit those same shots with the Hawks!

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

The G League experience in College Park for rookies Seth Lundy and Miles Norris has been tailored to prepare them for their future days with the Atlanta Hawks.

At the same time, their stint with the Skyhawks is not a perfect simulation in every way. In between a Friday night contest with the Capital City Go-Go and a 2:00 PM matinee rematch the next afternoon, Lundy thought back to the last time he had a day game following a night game.

"I would say AAU," he said with a laugh. "Pssht, you could play six games in two days."

Even if the schedule has its own unique ebb and flow, the on-court style of play should be consistent for Lundy and Norris, two of the Hawks' three players on two-way contracts this season. 

First-year College Park Head Coach Ryan Schmidt says that the vast majority of what the Skyhawks do on offense and defense aligns with what the Hawks do in Atlanta. 

"We're doing pretty much everything the same – with maybe the exception of a couple of half court sets that we put in that speak more to our personnel. You know, we don't have DJ and Trae, so certain things for us are gonna be a little bit different. Offensively, we would probably say 80 to 90 percent of everything that we're doing is what you see with the Hawks, and then defensively, it's pretty much all identical." 

Norris felt the same way about the stylistic similarities.

"It's the same kind of offense, same type of defense, so it's kind of easy to carry over from both teams."

Together, Lundy and Norris have played a major part in guiding College Park to a 7-4 record. Lundy leads the Skyhawks in scoring at 17.9 points per game, and he is doing it while incorporating the techniques that a high-volume three-point shooter employs: shooting deep threes beyond the arc, getting threes with off-ball movement, and setting up relocation threes when defenses try to chase him off the three-point line. All told, he has made 39.8 percent of his threes while attempting 8.9 threes per game. 

Lundy has done all of that while being an impact defender on the team with the fourth-best defensive rating in the G League.

"I feel like it's a great experience for me, just getting these reps and playing freely out there," Lundy said. I'm also trying to be a leader on this team vocally, too, trying to set the tone. I'm trying to be an everyday guy. Some of these guys that come in here – everyone knows that I'm on a two-way contract – so they're looking at me to lead this team."

Lundy led by example in the Skyhawks' come-from-behind win Monday. As the Skyhawks tried to erase a nine-point deficit with less than five minutes remaining in the game, Lundy blocked shots on consecutive possessions: one after he rotated to help a teammate defend the rim that led to an opponent's shot-clock violation and one while defending on the ball that he deftly saved while falling out of bounds. For the season, Lundy is averaging an impressive 1.2 blocks per game.

Norris is averaging 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while connecting on 32.7 percent of his threes. When the Skyhawks set a franchise mark for made threes Monday, Lundy (5) and Norris (4) combined to hit 9 of the team's 21 makes.

"Mentally, I just want to have a high motor," Norris said of his play in College Park. "I think I'm playing well when I'm active and flying around on defense. That's probably the biggest thing for Coach (Schmidt). He wants me to go out to block shots and play aggressively."

If the rookies remain with the Skyhawks and maintain their solid play, the team could qualify for the  G League Showcase Cup, a mid-December event that features the league's top eight teams. As of right now, their 7-4 record has them in the top eight teams in the standings with three games remaining before the Showcase. 

It is not impossible that Lundy and/or Norris could get transferred to the Hawks before the Showcase Cup begins. But if Lundy remains in College Park, he will be ready for whatever comes his way with the Skyhawks.

"I come in every day with a chip on my shoulder," Lundy said. "I don't take it for granted, and at the end of the day when I do get called up, I'm just waiting for my moment, and I'll be prepared."

 

 

[Gray Mule]

Seth Lundy and AJ Griffin should swap places.  AJ would get to play and Quin would have a different player to ignore!

Seriously, this Atlanta Hawk team needs to awaken from this slumber party.  JJ isn't coming back for a while and they need to stop this slide into oblivion.

Somewhere, out in the G League, may lurk the very player that the Hawks need right now.   Wouldn't hurt to take a look and ask questions.  Scouts should know.  They watch more than high school and college teams, I hope!