The Hawks didn’t need CJ McCollum to light up the scoreboard on Thursday night. They needed him to steady things, organize the offense and keep the group moving in the right direction. He did that in Atlanta’s 114-111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
McCollum’s line won’t jump off the page at first glance. He finished with five points, three rebounds, two steals and eight assists while shooting 1-of-8 from the field and 0-of-4 from three.
He also had four turnovers. Still, the passing mattered most, because Atlanta got exactly the kind of offensive structure it was looking for.
That has become a real part of McCollum’s job with this team. After the Hawks ended the Trae Young era last season, they still needed someone who could set the table.
Jalen Johnson is expected to carry plenty of that load, and Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker can help, too. But McCollum is the lead guard, the one tasked with handling the ball and initiating everything.
Against Cleveland, that showed up in a big way. Atlanta was down 15 in the opening quarter, then clawed its way back and took control. McCollum was part of that turnaround, especially in the second quarter, when he handed out four assists and posted a plus-10.
The Hawks got a complete effort across the board, and Aaron Wiggins stood out off the bench. McCollum wasn’t the headline scorer, but he gave the game what it needed. That’s the kind of night Atlanta was asking for when it brought him back this summer.
There’s still room for more from him, especially on the perimeter where the Hawks could use another shot creator. But Thursday was a reminder that scoring isn’t the only way he can swing a game. For Atlanta, the offense needed a hand, and McCollum delivered one.
In Other News...
Former Hawks Pick Is Already Making That Trade Look Painful
Zaccharie Risachers move from Atlanta to Dallas is starting to look like the kind of trade that lingers in the mind of a front office. The former Hawks pick has found a clearer defensive lane with the Mavericks, where his activity and impact on that end have taken a noticeable jump under coach Dusty May. Even with the shot still not fully cooperating, Risacher has carved out a real role in Dallas rotation plans because of the energy and length he brings every night.
The defensive numbers back up what the eye test has already suggested, and they point to a player whose value is rising fast in a new setting. For Atlanta, that makes the deal harder to ignore, especially with Risacher already showing he can affect games without needing the offense to come around first. The only question now is how far this version of him can go if the shooting ever catches up to the defense. [Read more 🡒]
Donovan Mitchell Is Taking Heat After Costly Late Sequence Vs Hawks
Donovan Mitchells night against Atlanta was already under the microscope after a rough shooting performance in Clevelands 114-111 loss, and the final minutes only sharpened the scrutiny. He finished 7-for-19 from the field and 1-for-9 from deep, a line that left the Cavaliers searching for answers in a game they could not afford to let slip away.
The sequence most fans latched onto came late in the fourth quarter, when Mitchell wound up with a possession that was supposed to go elsewhere and then came up empty on the ensuing three. Social media quickly turned on the moment, but there was at least some pushback from the broadcast and analysis side, with the suggestion that the play may have gone sideways because of a breakdown in the action rather than a selfish decision. [Read more 🡒]
Kingston Flemings Is Making The Hawks Ask A Tough Early Question
Kingston Flemings has given the Hawks something worth monitoring this early in the season: a young guard who already looks comfortable running an offense. His passing has stood out, and his production has been steady enough to put him in the conversation as a possible long-term answer at point guard, especially when measured against what Atlanta has been getting from CJ McCollum.
The bigger question is how quickly the Hawks are willing to trust that growth. Flemings has flashed enough playmaking to make a future starting role feel like more than a remote idea, but Atlanta has not made any lineup changes yet. For now, the organization is left weighing whether his early impact is simply a promising start or the beginning of a real push for a larger role. [Read more 🡒]