Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog

Atlanta Hawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund has announced this afternoon that the team has signed guard/forward Pape Sy to a contract.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Sy (pronounced SEE), the Hawks’ second round pick from France in the 2010 NBA Draft, was selected 53rd overall after spending time with team STB Le Havre of the French Pro A League.  He appeared in 38 games over three seasons, with the majority of those contests coming a year ago, as he averaged 5.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists (.505 FG%, .414 3FG% and .710 FT%).  Sy tallied a season-high 17 against Poitiers this past February.

“Our European scout (Loize Milosavljevic) did a great job in recommending Pape to us and once he participated in our pre-draft workouts, our scouts and coaches were very impressed with his abilities,” said Sund.  “Although he was hampered by an Achillies injury during summer league workouts, we were encouraged with his ability, athleticism and competitiveness.”

Sy, who is listed at 6-7 and is from Loudeac, France, will be on the floor with the rest of his new teammates when they opening training camp September 28 on the practice court at Philips Arena.

“He is a talented 6-7 backcourt player who can play multiple positions,” said Assistant General Manager Dave Pendergraft, who worked throughout the process to get Sy here in time for training camp.  “Sy’s an interesting prospect who is determined to play in the NBA.”

Atlanta Hawks head coach Larry Drew has finalized his 2010-11 coaching staff with the hiring of former pro Nick Van Exel to the position of Player Development Instructor, it was announced this afternoon.  Van Exel, comes to Atlanta from Texas Southern University, where he served as an assistant coach.

“We’re very excited to add Nick to the staff,” said Drew.  “I think he brings a wealth of knowledge to the position, and given his past experiences, he’ll be really vital to the development of our young guards, particularly Jeff Teague and Jordan Crawford.  With the staff we currently have on board, I believe Nick will do a tremendous job for us moving forward.”

A second round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1993, Van Exel brings 13 seasons of NBA experience to the Hawks staff in addition to 76 playoff games and one All-Star Game appearance (1998), having tallied career averages of 14.4 points and 6.6 assists (.405 FG%, .794 FT%).  During his career with the Lakers, “Nick the Quick” was known as a flashy player who had the ability to deliver points in bunches and hitting game-winning shots.  In five years in LA, he finished with 14.9 points per game and 7.3 assists, finishing in the top ten in the league in that category on two occasions.

He joined Denver prior to the 1998-99 season and spent four years with the Nuggets, raising his scoring average in almost every season.  Over that period, Van Exel posted 17.9 ppg and 8.3 apg, averaging 21.4 points through the first 27 games of the 2001-02 season before he was traded along with three others to the Dallas Mavericks.

Following two seasons with Mavericks, Van Exel played for three different clubs over the next three years (Golden State, 2003-04; Portland, 2004-05; and San Antonio, 2005-06) before calling it a career.

Named to the NBA’s All-Rookie second team in 1994, Van Exel played his final two collegiate seasons at the University of Cincinnati, where he led the Bearcats in both points (18.3 ppg) and assists (4.5 apg) as a senior.  He led UC to an NCAA Final Four appearance and earned third-team All-America honors (AP, Basketball Times and Basketball Weekly) in addition to being selected as a finalist for the Wooden Award.

Nick Van Exel was born November 27, 1971 in Kenosha, WI.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed free agent center Etan Thomas, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, terms were not disclosed.

“We’re excited to add a player of Etan’s caliber to our roster,” said Hawks head coach Larry Drew. “He provides additional veteran leadership, physicality and toughness to our club, especially on the glass and the defensive side of the ball. We also add another versatile and multi-positional player to our frontcourt.”

Thomas, who finished last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, has spent the bulk of his career with the Washington Wizards. In eight seasons (seven in Washington), the 6-foot-10 Syracuse product has averaged 5.8 ppg and 4.8 rpg (.514 FG%, .600 FT%) in 396 career regular season games, starting 74 contests.

In 23 games (one start) with the Thunder last season, Thomas put in 3.3 ppg and 2.8 rpg (.456 FG%, .591 FT%). He also saw action in two postseason contests with Oklahoma City, tallying 6.0 ppg and 2.0 rpg. He’s appeared in 17 career playoff games.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Thomas adds bench depth. And as a poetry buff, he can confuse opponents by using fancy phrases they’ve never heard before, throwing them off balance as their brains attempt to process the new information.

The Atlanta Hawks have re-signed center Jason Collins, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, the financial terms were not disclosed.

“We’re excited to welcome Jason back to the team,” said Hawks head coach Larry Drew. “He’s a veteran presence in the locker room, and adds experienced depth to the frontcourt. Jason has worked hard in the offseason, and with his knowledge of the system we’re implementing, he’ll continue to be a valuable contributor to our club.”

Collins appeared in 24 games last season for the Hawks, averaging 0.7 ppg and 0.6 rpg in 4.8 mpg (.348 FG%). The nine-year veteran has posted career averages of 4.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 1.0 apg in 22.7 mpg (.410 FG%, .647 FT%) in 596 games (429 starts) with New Jersey, Memphis, Minnesota and Atlanta.

He’s also appeared in 78 postseason contests in his career (3.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg), including trips to the NBA Finals with the Nets in 2002 and 2003.