The Hawks open the season tonight with more than just a routine early test on their hands. Orlando is the opponent, and in a conference where the middle feels crowded, this one already carries the weight of an important divisional swing game.
These teams are viewed in a similar tier by most playoff predictions, and Atlanta’s path last season gives the matchup a little extra edge. The Hawks took all four meetings from the Magic, and three of those wins came by double digits. If Atlanta can keep that kind of edge in the series, it would go a long way toward backing up its postseason case.
There are some similarities from last year’s meetings, but Atlanta also brings a different look into this one. The Hawks built last season’s 20-6 run to the postseason on defense, and that side of the ball was a big reason they were able to control Orlando. The Magic, meanwhile, are trying to solve their offensive issues under new head coach Sean Sweeney while still keeping their defense at a high level.
That is where the Hawks’ newest perimeter piece comes into focus. Orlando’s best offensive weapons are Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and the more bodies Atlanta has to throw at them, the better. Dyson Daniels gives the Hawks one option, but the summer addition of Lu Dort gives them another rugged answer.
Dort did not play much in the preseason, and Atlanta only got a brief look at him with the regular starters and rotation in the last exhibition against Dallas. The shot has not come around yet, but the physical edge was obvious. The Hawks even used him as a backup power forward, which says plenty about how they view his versatility.
That is part of what makes Dort such a unique fit. He is not built like a traditional frontcourt player, but he can move up and handle nearly any position. Against Banchero and Wagner, that kind of flexibility matters because either player can take over a game in a hurry.
Dort has built his career as a perimeter stopper with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he is clearly eager for the next chapter in Atlanta:
"Excited. Really, really excited.
You know, put a lot of good weeks together, working and getting ready for the first game. So I'm really excited and we're looking forward to a long season we're about to have."
The biggest question with Dort is still his shooting. He has never been a major rebounder or passer, and if Dyson Daniels is also struggling to shoot, Atlanta could have some spacing problems on offense. That is one of the larger issues hanging over the Hawks this season.
So tonight, the focus is Dort. Whether he is chasing Wagner, banging with Banchero, or trying to help the floor open up on the other end, he is the Hawks player worth watching closest.
In Other News...
Hawks Get A Chance To Answer Last Year's Orlando Frustration
Last spring, the Hawks learned how thin the margins can be in a playoff chase when Jock Landale went down against Orlando and never made it back in time for the first-round series with the Knicks. Atlanta never quite had the size or physical edge it wanted in that matchup, and the absence of a useful frontcourt piece lingered as one of those what-ifs that can hang around long after the season ends.
Now the schedule has brought the Magic back into view, and Landale is in a far better spot heading into the rematch. He has looked much more comfortable in preseason and is expected to be available, giving Atlanta a chance to see whether a healthier, more physical rotation can help it answer some of the frustration that started in that game last year. [Read more 🡒]
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Opens With A Chance To Burn Orlando Again
The Hawks are getting a familiar opening-night test, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will have a chance to pick up right where he left off against Orlando. Atlanta starts the 2026-27 season against a Magic team that he handled well a year ago, when his rise into Most Improved Player territory helped establish him as one of the leagues more uncomfortable matchups for Orlando.
The bigger wrinkle is that the Magic are bringing back most of the same core, which makes this feel less like a fresh scouting report and more like a continuation of an old problem. The coaching change from Jamahl Mosley to Sean Sweeney adds a new voice on the sideline, but Atlanta still has reason to expect the same type of physical, familiar opener, with Alexander-Walker again positioned to set the tone early. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Johnson Faces The Hawks Stretch That Could Change Everything
Jalen Johnson has spent the preseason looking like the kind of forward Atlanta can build around, and that matters even more with the 2026-27 season looming as a potential turning point for his role. The Hawks have every reason to keep pushing him into bigger responsibilities, and December is shaping up as a useful measuring stick for just how far his game has come.
The schedule does not offer much room to ease in, with games against the Magic, Pistons, Hornets and Spurs mixed into a month that should ask plenty of him on both ends. For Atlanta, the real intrigue is whether Johnson can keep turning those stretches into proof that he is ready for the bigger stage the Hawks seem to be preparing for. [Read more 🡒]