The Atlanta Hawks didn’t spend the offseason chasing a headline-grabbing overhaul after their first-round playoff exit, and their preseason finale against the Dallas Mavericks showed exactly where that leaves them. The starting five stayed put for the dress rehearsal, but the more revealing part came once the bench rotations started rolling in.
Atlanta went nine deep, with its tenth sub not arriving until late in the fourth quarter, and the order of those first wave reserves told the story. Lu Dort was the first man off the bench, a clear sign he’ll have an immediate role after landing in Atlanta in the surprising three-team deal that sent Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas. The starting group was already locked in, but Dort’s arrival gives the Hawks another piece they trust right away.
Aaron Wiggins followed Dort into the game, along with Jock Landale and Kingston Flemings. Wiggins, another former Thunder player, made the strongest impression of the group. In 22 minutes off the bench, he finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists while burying four three-pointers.
Landale and Flemings also flashed what they can bring in their roles. And Flemings’ spot in the pecking order stood out even more because Atlanta gave the 19-year-old priority over some veterans.
There’s never a guarantee a rookie is part of the nightly rotation, but Flemings has already done enough to earn that trust. His confidence and maturity have put him in position to handle the ball for the second unit, and that’s a meaningful development for a team looking to sharpen its bench after last season’s issues.
The fact that Asa Newell, Dorian Finney-Smith and Corey Kispert were not ahead of Flemings says plenty about where Atlanta sees him right now. More than anything, the Hawks appear to know what they want their second unit to look like as the season approaches.
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Even so, the roster still has some obvious pressure points, and the concern is less about the top of the lineup than what happens behind it. Small forward, power forward and center all look thin enough that an injury or two could force Atlanta into uncomfortable answers, which makes the early weeks a key measuring stick for how much trust Snyder can place in the bench and the back end of the frontcourt. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Preseason Offered Real Hope But One Rotation Question Lingers
A 4-1 preseason record is easy to dismiss if you want to, especially for a team that only got its full lineup together once, but Atlanta at least gave itself a sturdy early case for optimism. The Hawks looked more organized, more dependable and, most importantly, deeper than a year ago, with the rotation expected to be steadier this season thanks to the added presence of Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Jock Landale.
The biggest question left hanging is how the backcourt sorts itself out behind the starters, because the preseason gave the Hawks a mixed sample there. Rookie Kingston Flemings turned heads in a reserve role and looked comfortable running the second unit, while Dyson Daniels is still searching for rhythm as a shooter. Atlanta has reason to feel better about its bench than it did a year ago, but the exact pecking order in the guard rotation still needs a little more time to settle. [Read more 🡒]