Game 1 Takeaways

The NBA is back in full swing with its 77th season. The Hawks start the season opener at the Spectrum Center, against division rivals Charlotte Hornets. With a new head coach and system in place, the Hawks were unable to topple the Hornets, losing 110-116. Here are some of my takeaways from the new-look Hawks in their first game:

Jalen Johnson

Arguably the best player for the Hawks that night, Jalen Johnson displayed his full skillset in 29 minutes. Johnson produced 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists on 9/13 shooting. Johnson did not have many set plays for him either, all of his scoring production came from pushing the ball in transition or coming off the pick-and-roll. Johnson made one out of three threes on the night to keep the defense honest. He was the sole bright spot to take away from this win, with the rest of the team struggling. Johnson’s development should be monitored, as his minutes will continue to rise with his improved play. Johnson played more minutes than starting power forward, Saddiq Bey, as Snyder likes to give the hot hand more minutes. Johnson’s offensive ceiling makes the Hawks more explosive and will be a key contributor coming into this season.

Rough Start for DejounTrae

The Hawk’s backcourt duo, Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, had a terrible shooting night, combining for 7/33 for FGs and 2/13 on 3PTs. The duo had a tough time getting in a groove and attacking the rim, as it was tightly guarded by Hornets rookie center, Mark Williams. Trae especially was forcing up 3PTs as he was struggling to attack Williams. Dejounte on the other hand needs to be more involved. Staggering him and Trae is better than them starting together, as Trae needs spacing for him to carve up the defense. Giving Dejounte more minutes with the second unit will allow him the proper spacing to knock down his midrange jump shots much easier. Aside from Jalen Johnson, the whole team struggled to attack the rim, so the guards were not the only ones. I expect Snyder to adjust and the backcourt to shoot normally next game. 

Overreactions

While this is only one game out of the long season, we have yet to see the full potential of what Snyder and the Hawks can do. From a first glance, the Hawks are taking more 3PTs as a team. The Hawks attempted nearly 30 3PTs, albeit making only five. The Hawks made a run in the second quarter, pushing the pace, and allowing them to make five-plus dunks. Allowing Johnson to push the pace will allow the Hawks to be more lethal on the transition, allowing them to score more points. One point of concern is the off-ball capabilities of Young and Murray. I expected there to be more off-ball movement, but it looked like the same old taking turns isolating and beating your man in the clutch. Hopefully, Snyder will adjust that aspect and we’ll see more off-ball plays run for Young and Murray. 

I expect the Hawks to bounce back in their home game opener against the Knicks later today at 4 PM.