How Asa Newell’s confidence allowed him to grow

Atlanta The Hawks have been successful this seasonand it wasn’t because one player kept making the difference. It was a collective group effort, and with players here and there, it led to others getting more opportunities at times. That’s what happened to Asa Newell, the Hawks’ first-round draft pick this summer, who turned out to be a sponge early in the season.

Newell saw time on the court with the Hawks, while also being able to work on his game even more with the College Park Skyhawks of the G League. He just played a morning game with the Skyhawks and finished that game with 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The next day, he found himself playing with the Hawks against the Los Angeles Clippers, as Jaylen Johnson and Kristaps Porzingis was out. Newell made the most of his time and finished with 11 points. After the game, Newell talked about the opportunities he could have gotten this season.

“I just try to take advantage of every opportunity I get,” Newell said. “I just have confidence in myself. I have a great coaching staff and teammates that I surround myself with, who have that confidence and just go out and play.”

Newell’s work has not gone unnoticed, as coaches and players see what he has been doing.

“Playing in the G League is so important for a guy like that,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “He’s in there, and you know he’s ready to go, but sometimes you can only play with so many guys, so he got a chance tonight, and he was ready. I thought he was in. He’s playing the way we want him to play. He’s making open shots, he’s trying to defend, he’s on the board. He’s continually building those habits, and that’s what we want to see.”

“It’s tough because you’ve got guys who have to do more, and I think this is going to be a period where you’re going to have to go through the dirt of it and grow into it,” Nikhil Alexander-Walker said. “It’s good that it’s happening now. We all need guys to deal with guys who are playing different roles and progressing. I think how Asa was able to step into his role and be aggressive (was good). Those things are important, and I think the main thing I can do is help keep talking to them as the game goes on.”

Newell continues to improve this season, and could look like a different player by the end of the year.