Three big takeaways from the first look at the retooled team

There is a lot to be excited about.

The Hawks showcased both their new players and even a new way of playing basketball on Tuesday night in a 131-130 win over the Indiana Pacers. It was a thrilling contest with loads of great ball movement — and one that may begin to turn the page on a dull past two or three seasons.

The Pacers and Hawks always seem to link up for high-octane basketball over the past 12 months, and even in preseason, this contest was no different. The teams combined for 261 points in 221 possessions and the game quite literally came down to the final second.

As a team, the Hawks shared the ball, registering 35 assists on 47 made field goals (right around 75% for their assisted field goal rate). However, they allowed the Pacers 130 points, 64 of them in the paint and a 34-for-47 (74%) night from inside the three-point arc.

This season, expectations seem to have plummeted, but there’s reason to assume that’s an assured fate. Atlanta played a hungry, even if somewhat disjointed, game in the kickoff of their new season, and that mentality will carry them well if continued.

With the deep preseason rotation, no player managed 20 points or more, nor did any player top 24 minutes played. Still, it was enough to whet our appetite after the long offseason and gives us some data points to track going forward.

Ultimately, there were some impressive individual performances, especially on offense, but also quite a few defensive aspects to dig into.

So without further ado, here are three big takeaways from the first 48 minutes of the season.

Jalen Johnson is the sidekick that Trae Young needs

Young, one of the best offensive maestros in the league, and Johnson, an athletic do-it-all forward, always seemed destined to have an easy fit and rapport if and when able to share the court. In 2023-24, the pair finally got their chance to shine together as Johnson was moved into the starting lineup to great effect.

But the duo was unfortunately limited to just 38 games in which they both appeared in (35 where both players started). After all the talk of a peanut butter and jelly-like fit, the Hawks only managed 36 wins a season ago and lost their second-best player in the offseason. It seems obvious enough that these two players are going to need to step up for this team to have success this season.

Trae Young is a three-time All-Star who is just about an automatic 28-and-10 in any given season. Jalen Johnson had a major breakout last season and still has room to grow. But there was still some concern about the high-end talent on this team post-Dejounte Murray trade to the Pelicans.

But it’s quickly clear that Johnson hasn’t stopped growing into his immense potential, and the 19-point and 10-rebound night in just 22 minutes he posted against Indiana is a great indication that there’s another gear he can and, I believe, will hit this season.

Who better to help him reach those heights than Trae Young, whose vision and distribution is virtually unmatched? Three of Young’s six assists in the game were dialed up to Johnson, and this combo will undoubtedly continue to be a building block of the offense.

This spread pick-and-roll with center Larry Nance Jr. stretching the floor is something that can open up tons of opportunities for Johnson to throw down jams in an open lane.

Jalen Johnson handling the ball fullcourt after rebounds gives the Hawks a different angle to attack. Look at the crowd Young draws off that ball, and that gives him an easy line of sight back to Johnson.

And the third assist is a product of a great defensive play by Johnson. Young, Dyson Daniels, and Johnson each have a good understanding of how to attack in transition below.

Zaccharie Risacher already has a great feel and ability

He might be the most unheralded first overall pick in recent NBA memory. And while he likely won’t be the offensive focal point most top picks throughout history have been, Risacher’s skillset was on full display on Tuesday night in State Farm Arena.

Risacher logged 18 points on 7-for-9 (78%) shooting, including 3-for-4 (75%) from three, plus three rebounds and two assists in his preseason debut. But it’s his high level of feel and how comfortable he looked against NBA competition for the first time that is earning him rave reviews.

It’s pretty clear that the shooting will be an immediate boost to an, at times, stagnant and cramped offense from a season ago. But he was equally adept screening, rolling and cutting to the basket for easy opportunities near the rim.

Here, he screens and rolls to the basket. Kobe Bufkin probably could have hit him on the initial pass, but Risacher lingers in the dunker’s spot for an easy two.

Bufkin learned from his last mistake and puts the pass right in Risacher’s pocket this time.

And finally, maybe the highlight of the game: the razzle-dazzle assist to his center.

“I feel like that was natural,” Risacher had to say about his between-the-legs pass to Clint Capela. “That was the situation. Just passing the ball to who was open. Not showing who I was passing to to fake the defender.”

Defensively, as a tall and long wing, he was able to roam around, close out and affect shooters in some individual defensive moments. Certainly, it will take time for him to better communicate and consistently be in the right place, but his work rate and hustle was very evident on Tuesday.

“I thought it looked like he was enjoying himself,” head coach Quin Snyder had to say about his performance. “Not just making [shots]. You just got to throw yourself into the game. When you are the number one pick, people are going to be analyzing everything that you’re doing, good and bad. I was happy he had some success tonight.”

“It’s not like I need to score,” remarked Risacher. “The scoring, it doesn’t affect my game because I affect [the game] in so many ways.”

Team defense is a work in progress, but there are some promising signs

With the additions of Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher and the integration of Kobe Bufkin, the Hawks will have multiple options defending at the point of attack this season. But with the roster shuffle, that integration will take time.

So while all the key players were giving good effort, the overall defense wasn’t up to snuff. Coach Snyder did highlight Bufkin’s ball pressure postgame, however, saying in part, “[t]he best thing that I thought [Bufkin] did tonight was that he defended. To see him get up the court, that’s something that’s we’re going to see on film […] I thought Kobe’s ball pressure really gave us a lift.”

But just like during last season, the Pacers most gashed the Hawks with their quick hits in transition. This was a focal point per Quin Snyder at pregame availability, and Indiana’s starters initially had their way getting easy looks against an unsettled Hawks defense.

Off a miss, the Hawks don’t organize in transition, and both Capela and De’Andre Hunter pick up Wiseman in the lane. That ultimately leaves Dyson Daniels on an island against two players, and Tyrese Haliburton is able to get off a wide open three.

The team also looked to handle perimeter screens poorly, and the Pacers were able to use pace and space to repeatedly gash them in the first 18 minutes of the game. It was clearly an ugly start, as the Hawks fell behind by as much as 17 points in the first quarter alone.

Here, both Dyson Daniels and Hunter take the ball handler Andrew Nembhard, in the process completely whiffing on the popping Pascal Siakam. This surely has to be communicated a lot better.

And in the second quarter, it appears that Vit Krejci is motioning to switch with Risacher on the screen. But that doesn’t happen, and a helpless Trae Young rotating from a low man position can do little but watch the bucket.

“We had breakdowns,” said Snyder. “They put a lot of pressure on you to guard your man in space sometimes. The times that you are able to help, you need to be there. And we weren’t always there.”

It’s very early, so there’s no need to panic over missed rotations and communication issues. The team will take time to gel, and the key takeaway is this seems to be a group that wants to be great on defense — judging both by preseason comments as well as effort they displayed against the Pacers after a sluggish start.

Still, the arrival of a new big three in Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher plus a deep cast of role players should give everyone a sense of excitement for the weeks, months, and even years ahead.