On Saturday (July 7), the NBA Summer League had a full slate of action from Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the standout games and performances of the day was a matchup featuring the New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks. It featured two of the recent draft's lottery picks as NY's Kevin Knox and Atlanta's Trae Young both put in some of their best work of the summer so far.

Kevin Knox leads Knicks

When the NBA draft took place a few weeks ago, there were a few NY Knicks fans in attendance who expressed disappointment in the latest pick. However, those expressions may quickly turn to excitement, especially if Knox keeps performing like he did today.

On just his first basket of the game, Knox took it the length of the court, while being contested and threw it down with a vicious dunk that rattled the rim.

That dunk was just one of many baskets for New York's newest addition to the roster. The No. 9 draft pick would finish with 22 points and eight rebounds. More importantly, his team got the Summer League victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks have a bright future based on Kevin Knox's athletic skills he's shown so far.

Trae Young puts forth solid effort

The Atlanta Hawks made one of the biggest trades of the draft night by drafting Luka Doncic at No.

3 overall and then waiting for a few picks later to trade him to the Dallas Mavs. In return, they received Oklahoma guard Trae Young. That move may have been a head-scratcher for Atlanta fans, but Young has shown the ability to score and find teammates in the Summer League.

In Saturday's action, Young finished with 21 points and 11 assists.

That included several deep three-point shots in what almost looked like some Steph Curry style jumpers. As noted by the game's commentator, Young will have to worry about his shot selection as he progresses within the league. However, his quick release and ability to knock down those long-range bombs will be much appreciated in Atlanta.

His sophomore teammate, John Collins, was among the rookie surprises last season and looked good again for Atlanta in today's contest. Collins finished with 30 points and eight rebounds, albeit in a losing effort in Summer League action. While analysts expected Trae Young and Kevin Knox to be among the lottery picks, not many analysts pegged either as the top stars to watch from this rookie class. However, both of these young players look like they could generate some buzz for their teams in the coming season. Unfortunately, both teams will probably be bottom dwellers in the Eastern Conference, so they'll need all the excitement they can get.
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