Today, Atlanta Hawks assistant coach Nick Van Exel is in San Francisco, helping prepare the young roster for the crucible of guarding Stephen Curry. But 22 years ago, Van Exel was in Denver tearing the Hawks up as a player.
It was 1999, the Hawks were at the beginning of a rebuild on the precipice of a new millennium. Dikembe Mutombo and Isaiah Rider led the team that night as well as the season. Rookie point guard Jason Terry logged 23 minutes against the Nuggets and scored a respectable 12 points on 6-10 shooting. Unfortunately, nothing could provide 'The Jet' for the avalanche he was facing in Denver.
Not far removed from an NBA All-Star Game appearance in 1998, Van Exel was in his prime. The veteran point guard was averaging career bests (approximately 16 points and 9 assists per game) while adding extra flash and flair to every element of his game. He no longer played for the post-Showtime Lakers, but you could see Magic Johnson's fingerprints on his game.
Despite being a few weeks removed from training camp, Van Exel was in midseason form. Over the course of 42 minutes, Van Exel scored 23 points and dished 20 assists. Most of those dimes ended up in the hands of sharpshooter Raef LaFrentz who led the team with 24 points.
It's hard to believe, but it was the third time in Van Exel's career that he dropped 20+ assists. The game has evolved a lot since 1999 (for example, the Hawks attempted 7 three-pointers against the Nuggets), but legendary performances transcend eras. Van Exel has only been on Nate McMillan's coaching staff for a few months, but his impact on point guard Trae Young will pay dividends throughout his career.
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