The Hawks kept their preseason rolling Saturday night, leaving Indiana with a second straight exhibition win and a little more clarity about who is finding their footing.
Atlanta again played most of its key pieces, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker sitting out and Lu Dort making his Hawks debut. With two preseason games left before next Wednesday’s opener against the Orlando Magic, the rotation reps are starting to matter a whole lot more.
Jalen Johnson was the loudest answer on the floor. After a rough opener against the Grizzlies and a night off Thursday against the Spurs, he came back against Indiana and looked every bit like the top option Atlanta wants him to be.
Johnson finished with 20 points on 8-12 shooting, knocked down both of his threes, added seven rebounds and three assists, and gave the Hawks a strong all-around night. His handle was clean, he scored in the halfcourt, and he handled the defensive glass well.
Onyeka Okongwu wasn’t far behind. He put up 18 points while shooting 50%, doing most of his damage early in the second half. It was not quite the same level of impact as Johnson, but it was still a strong performance.
The night for CJ McCollum, Dort and Dyson Daniels was more uneven. McCollum did most of his scoring at the foul line and didn’t really go hunting shots. Daniels was less aggressive with Johnson back in the lineup, though he did hit one of his four three-point attempts and also chipped in four rebounds and four assists.
Dort’s first run with Atlanta’s starters was a mixed bag. The shot wasn’t there, and he was more of a negative on offense, but he held up defensively and did a solid job against Pascal Siakam. It wasn’t a flawless debut, but it also didn’t point to any major concerns.
Off the bench, Aaron Wiggins stole the show. He scored 13 points, attacked with confidence, hit 3 of 6 from deep, and defended well. That’s the kind of version Atlanta was hoping to get when it traded for him.
Corey Kispert logged nearly 20 minutes again, and it was a familiar story. He made just 1 of 4 threes, and if the jumper isn’t falling, it’s hard to justify that kind of run for his defense alone.
Kingston Flemings wasn’t quite the same spark he was Thursday, and foul trouble clipped his night a bit, but he still finished with eight points and looked composed.
Asa Newell didn’t play in the first half, but he made his minutes count. He scored eight points, grabbed three rebounds and handed out two assists. Even so, it’s tough to pair him with Kispert and Jock Landale because that group can run into defensive issues quickly.
Landale finished with a C, RayJ Dennis earned a B, Zuby Ejiofor got a C, Kobe Johnson received a C, and Jalen Wilson was given a B. Ejiofor played just 12 minutes, all in the second half, which made him difficult to evaluate since Atlanta seemed to be trying different looks.
Johnson and Wilson both logged fewer than 10 minutes, but Wilson still managed eight points and three rebounds.
The Hawks are back at it tomorrow night at home against Oklahoma City.
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The shot profile is what makes Wiggins worth watching as the regular season gets closer. Atlanta has been looking for reliable help from the outside, and Wiggins has shown enough touch to suggest he can matter in the rotation right away. If that carries over, the Hawks may have found a useful piece for a roster that needs more shooting than most teams can afford to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Quin Snyders Final Preseason Choices Could Say A Lot About The Hawks
The Hawks close out the preseason Thursday at State Farm Arena against an Oklahoma City group that will look much different than a typical NBA opponent. The Thunder are leaving their veteran rotation players at home and plan to use rookies, two-way players and Exhibit 10 guys, which gives Atlanta a final tune-up that is less about the scoreboard and more about the last bits of evaluation before the games start to count.
For Quin Snyder, the bigger question is how he wants to handle his own rotation. Atlanta could go the cautious route and sit its main pieces, or use the matchup to stretch the minutes of players who have not seen much run so far. However Snyder handles it, this is the kind of preseason decision that can hint at which fringe players are closest to earning trust once the regular season begins. [Read more 🡒]