From Liam Santamaria at nbl.com.au:
With free agency underway, NBL Media’s Liam Santamaria is taking a look at each and every signing and breaking down what it all means ahead of #NBL21.
Signed by: The Hawks
The deal: Two years
Age: 26
2019-20 team: Illawarra Hawks
2019-20 stats (per game): 5.6 points, 3.6 assists, 49.6 FG%, 37.1 3P%, 84.6 FT%
Projected role: Naar’s role will largely depend on what type of import guard The Hawks decide to bring in. If it’s a PG, Naar will serve as the back-up once again.
However, with Dan Grida injured and both Sunday Dech and Angus Glover moving on, there’s a chance The Hawks may sign an import wing instead, opening the door for Naar to potentially start at the one.
Quote: “We are thrilled to have Emmett return to The Hawks. He is a terrific young talent and it was no surprise that he was the subject of interest from other teams.” – Brian Goorjian (Hawks head coach)
My take: Naar is an elite Aussie PG so re-signing him was an absolute no-brainer for the ‘under new management’ Hawks.
Goorjian will love Naar’s outstanding basketball IQ and ability to make reads out of pick-and-rolls (see clip below).
Oh, and with the two-time defending champs sniffing around for another ball-handler, the Hawks have done well to get this deal locked away.
