Atlanta Hawks rookie Sharife Cooper drained five 3-pointers on Friday during his debut with the College Park Skyhawks in the NBA G League regular-season opener.
Cooper finished with 23 points, six assists and one steal in nearly 33 minutes of work during the 116-103 loss to the Maine Celtics. He converted on 8-of-22 shot attempts from the field, including 5-of-11 from 3-point range from the starting lineup.
The second-round pick did most of his work from beyond the 3-point line but also mixed in some nice drives and finishes at the basket. He has been highly touted for his ability to get others involved and that was on display throughout the contest, as well.
Cooper, who is signed to a two-way contract, is with College Park after totaling six minutes this season with Atlanta. He has been training with the Skyhawks ahead of the regular season and will spend time with them for the foreseeable future.
The 48th pick averaged 5.5 points, 2.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds with the Hawks in the preseason, but wasn’t part of the rotation to start the year. He will have the opportunity to log time and continue his development with College Park.
Cooper is eligible to spend no more than 50 games with the Hawks in the NBA, so he will be with College Park for much of the season. The opportunity to play in the G League will help him stay sharp and continue his development.
The Skyhawks return to action on Sunday once again against the Celtics. The contest can be streamed starting at 2 p.m. EDT.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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