RSS Hawks Team Notes

[Atlanta Hawks]

Newell impresses as Hawks rally to overcome Heat in overtime

The Atlanta Hawks’ preseason adventure continued on Monday night as the Hawks took to State Farm Arena for the first time in the preseason.

However, the Hawks’ faithful will have to wait to see home debuts for Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the return of Jalen Johnson, and the assembly of the Hawks main roster as Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Johnson, Porzingis, Luke Kennard, and Onyeka Okongwu were all rested on Monday.

In their place, the lower reaches of the roster and camp invites got to see a larger role to showcase their talents, which saw the Hawks take the Miami Heat to overtime, overcoming a late deficit to take a 119-118 victory. Jacob Toppin led the scoring with 26 points, with Caleb Houstan adding 21 points including the game-winning three-pointer. For the Heat, they did run out some of their regulars in this game: Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Norman Powell scoring 17 points.

Normally when it comes to preseason and the final result of winning or losing the game — or, indeed, how the game was won or lost — is largely inconsequential, so it’s usually not something discussed in the aftermath. Preseason is a good time to focus on how players look next to each other, or in cases like last night to look at guys who wouldn’t normally get this opportunity.

However, since the game ended up going to overtime and ended up ending the way it did, let’s talk a little bit about the game itself.

The Hawks controlled proceedings in the first quarter, scoring 35 points and holding a lead as high as 13 points. That was as good as it got for the Hawks in terms of ease of scoring, because the second quarter saw the Hawks go scoreless for over five minutes as the Heat reeled off a 16-0 run to take the lead. The Hawks eventually recovered a rhythm and traded baskets for most of what remained of the game — only in the fourth quarter did the Hawks’ lead briefly extend to over five points.

The Hawks were sleepwalking towards what looked to be a certain victory, with Toppin taking it upon himself to lead the fourth quarter scoring and give the Hawks a seven-point lead with two minutes to go, 102-95. The Hawks’ offense coudn’t produce another basket to put the game away, nor keep the Heat out at the end of the game.

The Heat tied the game with this impressive layup by Myron Gardner, who beats Houstan off the dribble and finishes in traffic:

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Despite the Hawks’ collapse, they still had an opportunity to win the game. The ever-active Lamont Butler puts up a jumpshot which misses, and rookie Asa Newell is unable to steer the ball home, and the buzzer sounds:

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You can see what Newell is trying to do here on the offensive rebound, and it almost works out for him — he just couldn’t lift the ball high enough off the glass to score.

You don’t get to see too much overtime basketball in preseason (for good reason!), and I have to imagine the Hawks felt similarly as overtime was where the Heat took their first five-plus point lead of the entire game, running their lead up to seven points with just 1:10 remaining.

Butler would take two points out of that lead with two free throws, with Houstan bringing the lead back down to two point as he draws a foul on a three-point attempt, converting all three free throws. Coming out of a timeout, the Heat score to bring the lead back up to four which was quickly cut back to two with two Toppin free throws.

Finally (and I do mean ‘finally’ because this game lasted nearly three hours, madness for a preseason game), the Heat call for a timeout — a basket here effectively finishes the game. However, the Heat turn the ball over out of the timeout as Butler gets his hand on the ball from behind to force the steal. Butler then pushes, draws the defense and kicks the ball back to Houstan, who hits his fifth three of the night as State Farm celebrates:

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“Great defense by Eli (Ndiaye) and Lamont,” said Houstan on the game-winner. “Lamont pushing the ball, my guy helped in. I thought I had an open shot, and I shot it.”

With no timeouts, the Heat push the ball up the floor and, off of a missed shot from Ethan Thompson, have about three extra attempts after the offensive rebound, eventually ending with a last-second heave from Gabe Madsen:

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A very entertaining end, an ending the home faithful certainly deserved after enduring a, let’s be honest, pretty arduous preseason game whose best basketball evaporated after the first quarter. Not to mention the combined 56 fouls committed by the two teams.

Trivialities like that, however, mean little to the teams and players themselves, with Hawks head coach Quin Snyder commenting on the nature of professional basketball, irrespective of the setting or circumstance.

“Both teams are playing to win,” said Snyder of the game. “Doesn’t matter if it’s preseason, summer time — when you get guys out there that care, they play to win and want to make plays.”

Moving on to player talk from this game, there’s probably no better place to start than Hawks rookie Asa Newell. Newell scored 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field, 0-of-6 from three, 5-of-9 from the free throw line in addition to eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks in 36 minutes of action. His final percentage is tanked by those six missed threes, but inside the arc it was an efficient night’s work for Newell.

In transition, Newell runs the floor and gets into the paint, where he patiently works his way into an opening at the rim after he fakes Bam Adebayo off his feet before finishing with his left hand at the rim:

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Again in transition, Newell runs the floor, fills his lane, and when he receives the ball he finishes with authority at the rim:

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In the half-court offense this time, Newell relocates himself just inside the free throw line, and when he receives the ball he hits the hook through contact, drawing a foul and an ‘and-one’ play:

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Newell would draw another such opportunity as he grabs the offensive rebound and scores the stick-back through contact:

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Finally, off of a won jump ball by N’Faly Dante, Newell powers his way underneath the rim and eludes the defense to score at the rim, combining power and nimble footwork to get to the other side of the rim:

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Newell’s play was encouraging to watch, and even his six missed threes was an encouragement to Snyder, showing him that Newell is able to read the defense and recognise which shots to let fly. Additionally, Snyder praised Newell’s ability to rebound the ball.

“Asa has been consistently put in situations that are new to him,” said Snyder of Newell postgame. “Whether it’s playing out on the perimeter defensively, offensively I love the fact he’s quickly reading and taking the shot when he’s open. I think he’ll begin to understand more situational basketball when he’s open, and he can make one more. You can see his instincts. There’s a lot to work on when you’re 19, but he’s got a lot to work with. He’s strong going up, he’s got such a nose for the ball on the glass.”

“I just felt like my circle has always told me to crash the boards as a big, that’s how you get paid,” added Newell of his rebounding.

Opportunities for Newell at State Farm Arena with the Hawks may be few and far between, certainly the 36 minutes he played will be more frequent with the College Park Skyhawks, but it was good to see Newell play well at home and with the time he got, and in a victory.

“I felt great playing in front of the fans for the first time as a Hawk,” said Newell. “Being able to get back out on the floor with a great OT win with my teammates.”

Leading scorer Jacob Toppin played 41 minutes but saw his shooting efficiency take a dip, scoring 26 points on 9-of-23 shooting from the field. Toppin was patient in waiting for his opportunity to handle the ball a little more, and when he did he tried to do what he does best: drive the ball.

“For me, it’s just point-five mentality, not trying to get stuck with the ball” said Toppin of his game. “If I see a driving lane I’m going to try take it and that’s what they gave me today. I was driving the ball, getting to the rim, and finishing.”

While it was inefficient at times, Toppin ultimately handled the scoring load and made plays when the Hawks needed them to win the game. Winning the game, Toppin believed, demonstrated the Hawks’ depth and determination.

“It showed our resilience,” said Toppin of the game. “We stayed together as a team when we faced adversity. It shows how deep our bench is, we have a lot of good guys and we came together and got the dub.”

More familiar rotation players Vit Krejci and Keaton Wallace didn’t feature for long periods last night: Krejci played 19 minutes, Wallace just 13 minutes. Krejci had the green light when he played, but only shot 2-of-8 from the field and 1-of-7 from three. Wallace was limited in this game due to an illness he had been fighting prior to the game and did not play the second half.

“Keaton tried to go, he was sick before the game and fought through it,” said Snyder postgame.

In Wallace’s place, Lamont Butler saw extended time, playing 37 minutes and scoring 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting, 3-of-7 from three, 5-of-6 from the free throw line to go along with six rebounds, five assists, three steals, and five turnovers.

Butler was extremely active from the get-go, and it was hard to miss his presence throughout the game — both for good and bad at times. Overall, Butler was a plus-7 in his 37 minutes which I think is a fair reflection of his ultimate contribution last night on both ends of the floor. Snyder was certainly pleased with what Butler did with the opportunity.

“I thought Lamont was terrific on both ends, the way he competed. We know him, and I think a lot of him as a player and a person. It was good to see him get that opportunity and play the way that he did.”

Elsewhere, there was a block party at State Farm last night as the Hawks blocked 15 shots. There were some highlight blocks, including this block by Eli Ndiaye in transition:

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There were blocks to be had up and down the roster but Charles Bassey led the way with five blocks, with this block one of the standouts:

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Bassey also grabbed 17 rebounds, including nine offensive rebounds, and, postgame, Snyder praised his efforts and those of N’Faly Dante.

“Both of them gave us really good minutes,” said Snyder of Dante and Bassey. “Some of those guys have been in a position where they haven’t been playing that much. Good for them to get an opportunity, both of them were able to do some good things protecting the rim, rebounding, and finished pretty well in addition.”

All in all, a good showing for the Hawks and some of their young players. I’d say the biggest encouragament from this one is that Newell looked pretty good, minus the three-point shooting. Houstan’s shooting was good to see go down — along with the game-winner — and Bassey was fun to watch.

The Hawks wrap up their preseason on Thursday against the Houston Rockets at State Farm Arena. It’s impossible to say whether the Hawks’ regular rotation will be in action this time, but what is certain is that next Wednesday’s opening tip is creeping closer and closer. Excitement continues to build around the potential of the Hawks’ 2025-26 season.

Until next time!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...ami-heat-overtime-recap-analysis-quotes-video

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

2025-2026 Atlanta Hawks player preview: Kristaps Porziņġis

At his best, Kristaps Porziņġis is one of the top stretch big men in the league, with the potential to completely change a team on both ends of the court as he enters his 10th season in the NBA.

The Atlanta Hawks made a major move this summer by acquiring Kristaps Porziņġis from the Boston Celtics in a three-team trade. It’s clear the Hawks are looking to make a run in a rather depleted Eastern Conference. The Unicorn averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 2.1 assists this past season in 42 games, while shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc for Boston. His ability to score from all three levels is definitely something the Hawks have been looking to add to their arsenal.

BREAKING: Boston, Atlanta and Brooklyn are finalizing a three-team trade that sends Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Hawks, Terance Mann and Atlanta's No. 22 pick to the Nets, and Georges Niang and a second-rounder to the Celtics. pic.twitter.com/1fcbIslyVF

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2025

The concern for Kristaps doesn’t come from his ability but rather his availability. He’s no stranger to missing games throughout his career, dating back to his time with the New York Knicks. It would not be a surprise if Porziņġis continues that trend and misses some games this year, either due to injury or load management to prevent future injuries.

The 7-footer from Latvia missed several games last year due to a viral illness which affected him most towards the end of the year and into the playoffs while he was with the Celtics. Although Porziņġis feels as though his illness is gone, the confusion about what it was still lingers.

Kristaps Porzingis says his illness from last year’s playoffs is gone, but he still doesn’t understand what it was, per @NotoriousOHM pic.twitter.com/0z3NdBxnU5

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 29, 2025

Fortunately, he seems to have bounced back from the illness and regained his confidence after a successful run with the Latvian national team this summer. In the most recent FIBA EuroBasket, Porziņġis averaged 20.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2 assists per game. It was clear he was feeling back to his old self.

He's called "The Unicorn" for a reason…

Kristaps Porzingis puts back his own three-point attempt.#EuroBasket | #MakeYourMark pic.twitter.com/mE6iYpszrL

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 6, 2025

There is no doubt that if the Hawks can get a healthy version of ‘KP’, they can really make some noise in the Eastern Conference. Porziņġis makes life easier on his teammates, point blank, end of story. The amount of defensive attention that he commands opens up plenty of opportunities on the court for Atlanta’s offensive playmakers namely Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. The pick-and-roll becomes lethal with Porziņġis’ ability to either finish at the rim or pop for an open jumper. He shoots the ball at an elite level for someone of his size, making him nearly unguardable.

While ‘KP’ isn’t afraid to shoot the ball, launching six three-pointers a game last season, he also moves the ball to open teammates and gets the offense going. Porziņġis ability to see what is developing on the court and react appropriately is one of my favorite parts about his game. He was able to showcase some of that basketball IQ with an off-ball cut in the clip below.

Trae Young Jalen Johnson Kristaps Porzingis pic.twitter.com/uaezeqaOYH

— NBA Philippines (@NBA_Philippines) October 12, 2025

Defensively, Kristaps is 7’2” and averages 1.8 blocks per game in his career. He will fit in right alongside some of our key defensive players, namely Dyson Daniels, which would give the Hawks elite defense in both the frontcourt and backcourt. He’s simply a problem. While his rebounding has looked shaky at times during the preseason, expect that to normalize once October 22nd rolls around.

Playing through the frontcourt is essential in today’s NBA and having a big man that can stretch the floor like ‘KP’ opens up a world of possibilities. The Atlanta Hawks are blessed to have the best passer in the league and it’s one of the things Kristaps commented on after one of the recent preseason games.

"His passing ability and the way he reads the game is at a special, special level."

KP with major praise for his new PG pic.twitter.com/L4gRGguofc

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 12, 2025

The skill set that Kristaps Porziņġis brings to the Hawks is undeniable. He has all the tools needed to help elevate the Atlanta Hawks to the next level. The 2024 NBA Champion will bring much-needed experience and weaponry to what could be one of the most explosive offenses in the NBA.

Porzingis just adds a different dimension on both sides of the floor the Hawks haven't ever had. Both the skill and the physical tools

— Wes (@bloghawk) October 12, 2025

The Kristaps Porziņġis and Atlanta Hawks partnership should amass numerous accolades for both the individual and the team. The stars have aligned, and his addition to the team is perfect. It is not hard to envision the predictions below becoming reality, and I’m excited to watch this relationship flourish.

Saw this today regarding Kristaps Porzingis. A fairly accurate prediction, I think, and one that should get Hawks fans even more fired up.https://t.co/8yFBfhXTFD pic.twitter.com/gDcY60bRAZ

— Chase Pittman (@chasepitt11) October 13, 2025

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...er-preview-kristaps-porzingis-quotes-analysis

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Toppin, Newell help Hawks finally top Heat, 119-118

The Hawks met the Heat in State Farm Arena for the biggest sports game happening in downtown Atlanta tonight.

Miami largely started their expected opening day lineup with both Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware in the front court and new addition Norman Powell in the backcourt. Atlanta, however, gave essentially all of their heavy hitters the night off.

Tonight’s starting lineup:

PG: Keaton Wallace

SG. Vit Krejci

SF: Jacob Toppin

PF: Asa Newell

C: N’Faly Dante

Early on, Keaton Wallace and Vit Krejci created early offense for the makeshift group.

Vit to the rack ️ pic.twitter.com/cJKaYlzSGX

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 13, 2025

Lamont Butler — who was officially re-signed earlier today along with Deivon Smith and newbie M.J. Walker — came on later and made an instant impact with a steal and a quick trigger corner three among his early contributions.

But it was rookie Asa Newell that provided the acrobatics for the Hawks in the first quarter.

Asa with both hands pic.twitter.com/6N8gfbzt7i

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 13, 2025

A lot of these players will be future College Park Skyhawks, but they didn’t play that way against essentially Miami’s regular season rotation minus an injured Tyler Herro.

The inspiring play — like this emphatic Eli N’Diaye transition block — built the Hawks a 35-24 advantage after one quarter.

Impressive REJECTION by Eli John N'Diaye

Hawks lead after the 1Q at home! pic.twitter.com/HcGUjrNXgQ

— NBA (@NBA) October 13, 2025

In the second quarter, it was more of the same with Atlanta outhustling the Heat for loose ball. There were rookie mistakes aplenty, but the effort was always present.

But the offense hit the skits in the middle portion of the second quarter, and Miami pulled back into a virtual dead heat.

But key contributions from Asa Newell kept the Hawks in this one until the whistle blew for the halftime break with the sides knotted at 54 apiece.

It was a closer affair to begin the third quarter, with Lamont Butler beginning the half at point guard instead of Keaton Wallace. He got loose for a bit and drilled some early buckets.

The defensive intensity picked up as well as the unheralded players combined to force a 24-second violation at one point.

After three, the score was 76-70 good guys.

Atlanta kept up the fight, looking to seal the game and move to 2-1 in the preseason. One thing preventing them from doing so: shooting below 30% on their threes — on high volume nonetheless — in the game to this point.

Jacob Toppin was a big reason the Hawks padded their lead down the stretch of this one. His ability to create off the bounce was too much for the Heat.

With the score at 102-100, the Hawks needed one last stop to ice the game. Unfortunately, the Heat got a runner to fall and the Hawks couldn’t answer with 3.9 seconds left, so overtime basketball it was.

In overtime, the Hawks finally put Miami away after a late Caleb Houstan triple gave them the 119-118 victory:

Hawks Win!!????!!!!!!????!!!! pic.twitter.com/qPpY7FAJwV

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 14, 2025

Toppin came alive late to lead the Hawks with 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Asa Newell added 19 points and eight rebounds. The hero Houstan had 21 points on 5-for-8 shooting from three and Lamont Butler contributed across the board with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals.

The Hawks finish their preseason slate on Thursday against the Houston Rockets.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...pin-asa-newell-atlanta-hawks-miami-heat-recap

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

2025-26 Atlanta Hawks player preview: Trae Young

Trae Young might be the most interesting player in the NBA as we approach the start of the 2025-26 season. Entering his eight year – and (in case you haven’t heard) the final guaranteed year of his contract – Young finally has a roster worthy of his immense playmaking talent, and there will be a ton of eyes on no. 11 as he aims to lead this Atlanta Hawks team to perhaps, their first top-four Eastern Conference finish in his tenure with the franchise.

Young’s accolades speak for themselves. He is a 4-time All-Star, who ranks second to only John Stockton in all-time career assist percentage*. In 2021, he became the 10th player ever aged 22 or younger to average 25 points per game in the playoffs for a team that reached the Conference Finals**.

*The percentage of their teammates made field goals that a player assisted while on the floor. Young has a 44.6% career assist percentage, per Basketball Reference

**Luka Doncic (2022) and Anthony Edwards (2024) have since joined him on this exclusive list.

Last season, he became just the fifth player this century to average at least 11.6 assists per game over the course of a single season. He is the only player in NBA history to average 25 points and 10 assists per 75 possessions through the first seven years of their career.

That said, with those gaudy accomplishments comes a few hard truths. Young’s Hawks teams have finished above .500 just twice in his seven seasons with the team. They’ve made the playoffs thrice, and have advanced past the first round only once. While he has the capacity to fill up the points column, he ranks 39th in true shooting and owns the second-worst effective field goal percentage out of the 51 players who have averaged 20+ points per game over the past three seasons.

At 6’1”, 180 pounds, he has also ranked in the 8th percentile or lower in defensive EPM* in six out of his seven NBA seasons, making him shark bait on the defensive side of the ball in a league where offenses are becoming increasingly ruthless.

*One-in-all metric to capture a player’s defensive impact from dunksandthrees. More on EPM here.

Ultimately, this all adds up to a player whose status amongst the league’s preeminent offensive hubs is undeniable, albeit one whose impact on winning is less obvious.

So how can Young help the Hawks reach new heights in 2025-26? It starts with efficiency, which is something both he and head coach, Quin Snyder acknowledged at media day.

Snyder had this to say when asked about what he expects from his point guard this season:

“I think the key word for Trae is ‘efficiency’, whatever that looks like… I think what you’re going to see is Trae having to feel the game in a way to find the areas where he can contribute and be most efficient. There’s games where that’s going to mean scoring more, there’s games where that’s going to mean passing more. I think [one of] the constants is going to be him forcing the pace.”

“The other thing he’s got to do every night is be efficient defensively. People attack him because they know it has an impact on him offensively, they try to fatigue him. When you have a player that’s as good on the ball as Dyson’s been, they try to put Trae on the ball – it’s basic logic. So for Trae, understanding that and taking pride in what his job is on the defensive end, that leads to team efficiency on the defensive end.”

“The word I like to use with Trae all the time is ‘evolution’ and to me, his leadership is about him being efficient and doing the things on the court that help our team win. You prepare off the court for those moments, but I think his efficiency on the court, and him embracing that raises everybody’s level.”

For his part, Young agreed, saying that he was actually the first one to bring up the topic of ‘efficiency’ in his conversations with Snyder. Said Young, “as high as he [coach] sets the bar for me, I want to set it even higher.”

Starting with his offensive efficiency, Young averaged 24.2 points per game last season and led Atlanta to a 117.6 offensive rating (76th percentile relative to other five-man lineups) in his minutes, however he shot just 34% from deep and 47.4% from two-point range. The latter mark was a career low, undermined by a disappointing 52.5% conversion rate at the rim – the lowest field goal percentage (FG%) amongst players who took at least 200 rim attempts last season, per pbpstats.

Some will chalk these mediocre shooting splits up to the lack of offensive firepower in some of Atlanta’s lineups last season, ‘forcing’ Young into taking tougher shots than usual. However, digging into his shot quality metrics from last season courtesy of Bball Index*, it appears that his looks – at least from inside the arc, and especially at the rim – were more favorable than his FG% suggests.

As you can see in the table below, of the 71 players who averaged over 20 points per 75 possessions last season, Young’s rim shot quality ranked 16th, his midrange shot quality ranked 12th, while his three-point shot quality ranked 64th.

*Bball Index (great site) has a proprietary shot quality model that incorporates variables such as defender distance, shot location and play context

Zeroing in on the inside the arc scoring efficiency, while I’m not all that concerned about Young’s mid-range FG%*, he simply has to be better when it comes to finishing at the basket, and I expect he will be in 2025-26. With the additions Atlanta made this offseason, as well as the expected improvement from the players returning from last season’s roster, the Hawks should have more shooting and a bevy of offensive weapons to surround him with, making it harder for defenses to collapse on him when he drives to the hoop.

*Though it is worth noting that the league average FG% from the mid-range has ticked up over the past few seasons. In 2018-19, Trae shot 46% from ‘floater’ distance (FGA’s between 4-14 ft away from the hoop) during his rookie season, a mark which ranked in the 89th percentile relative to other point guards per cleaningtheglass. Last season, even though Young still shot 46% from this range, he ranked in just the 70th percentile relative to other point guards. Still good, but no longer an elite conversion rate.

The addition of Porzingis in particular should help draw at least one of the opposing team’s bigs away from the hoop, paving the way for even better looks for Young at the basket. It will be down to him to either convert these looks or draw a foul and get to the line.

As for his perimeter shooting efficiency, while a 34% mark from deep is not terrible, especially considering that Young ranked near the bottom of the league in three-point shot quality, I am curious to see whether Young can carve out higher quality looks from long range this season given Atlanta’s new offensive structure. What might this look like?

For one, I’d wager that a big reason why Young rated so low in three-point shot quality last season is because he led the league in average three-point distance* at 27.8 feet – four feet further than a three from the top of the key. Four feet! It would be one thing if Young was knocking these looks down at a respectable rate, but he shot just 33.2% on above the break threes last season – the fifth lowest mark amongst the 39 players who took at least nine such attempts per 100 possessions** – relative to 43.1% from the corners (albeit on a significantly lower volume of attempts).

*As of March 25th, 2024 – two weeks before the end of the regular season

**min. 1000 minutes played

I’m not saying that Young should eliminate the long-bomb three from his shot diet entirely. As (Hawks announcer) Bob Rathbun likes to remind us, it does indeed stretch defenses, forcing them to respect the fact that Young will fire away from anywhere on the court, which in turn creates more space for others on offense. I also believe that he’s talented enough to hit these shots when he is feeling it. But this is a new year with new offensive weapons. If there is adequate spacing in the halfcourt, Young won’t need to take as many difficult long-range threes which should help improve his efficiency.

Another thing that could have a positive impact on Young’s three-point shooting numbers this season is him embracing more of a catch-and-shoot role on offense. Young has consistently ranked near the top of the league in pull-up three-point attempts, yet over the past three seasons, he’s shot 36.5% on catch-and-shoot threes (1.5 attempts per game) relative to 34.6% on pull-ups (6.5 attempts per game).

While the Hawks don’t have a traditional backup point guard this season*, between Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, Onyeka Okongwu and Vit Krejci, there isn’t a lack of playmaking talent on the roster. If Young can get off the ball earlier in the shot-clock and allow his teammates to create for him a little more often, this could lead to more catch-and-shoot three-point opportunities for him.

*That is unless Keaton Wallace or Nikola Djurisic can crack the rotation

At media day, Young spoke about how he plans to find the balance between initiating and deferring on offense this season, and it sounds like he plans to lean into a few more off-ball actions in 2025-26.

“Yeah, I think you’ll be able to see another element of my game that you haven’t been able to see. A lot of people like to say, ‘Trae can’t play with this person or this person because he loves the ball in his hand’… c’mon man. You’ll be able to see, like I’ve got a guy in KP who draws double teams, Jalen – if he’s healthy – you’ve seen what we’ve done together, he’s back now. So there’s elements of my game you probably haven’t seen yet, and adding guys that we’ve added this summer will allow me to play even more off the ball so I’m excited about it and I’m more ready to get it going than anything.”

Young shot 2-for-4 from deep in Atlanta’s first preseason game with both of his makes coming off of the catch, and I’m curious to see if this was just an anomaly or the beginning of a trend that continues into the regular season.

Hawks are able to pull HOU out of their zone alignment thanks to KP's gravity plus Trae relocating

KP's well-timed dive plus quick touch pass saves the poss after a missed layup

great decision from KP to wrap this pass around Sengun to Trae in the corner pic.twitter.com/U0NSCH2DqJ

— Hawks Film Room (@atlhawksfilm) October 7, 2025

i fully expect the Hawks to be T3 in pace yet again

defense playmaking + an incredible lead playmaker + open court athletes = elite transition offense pic.twitter.com/dSTJFtyvuk

— Hawks Film Room (@atlhawksfilm) October 7, 2025

*Shoutout Hawks Film Room for the above clips, an excellent Twitter follow for all Hawks fans

One more area that’s worth mentioning when it comes to Young’s offense is that he did lead the league in turnovers last season, coughing it up 4.7 times per game. Of course, this number is less than ideal, that said, on a scale from 1 to 10, I’d only rate my level of concern at a 5. Given his usage rate, the pace Atlanta played at (third fastest in the NBA), as well as how much of the playmaking burden he had to carry, it’s unrealistic to have expected mistake-free basketball from Young last season. Atlanta’s offense still operated at a high level with him on the floor, and their team turnover percentage in his minutes ranked right around league-average.

Obviously it would be great to see Young cut down on his turnovers this season, however given his playstyle and the ability to push the envelope with his passing chops, I believe it’s alright to afford him a little bit of leeway in this area. You don’t average 11.6 assists per game by playing it safe, and I’d rather see Young be too aggressive than too conservative when it comes to playmaking on the offensive end.

Moving on to the defensive side of the ball, as discussed in the introduction, it’s not been pretty for Young over the course of his career and whether or not he can hold up defensively for four straight playoff series while maintaining his offensive production remains one of the biggest question marks regarding his long term value to a team with championship aspirations.

While he did look more engaged last season than he has in years past, the Hawks still posted a 116.8 defensive rating (35th percentile relative to other five-man lineups) and allowed a ton of shots at the rim in his minutes last season. Young personally ranked in just the third percentile in defensive EPM.

Though the defensive ceiling is always going to be low for a high-usage small guard, in Young’s case, there is still a lot of scope for improvement.

Trae Young dared Davion Mitchell to shoot a three in OT.

Mitchell got the board and made him pay pic.twitter.com/D7NInQDxkP

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 19, 2025

The good news is that Atlanta’s roster has been constructed with this in mind, and when they’re fully healthy this season, between Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kristaps Porzingis, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and Onyeka Okongwu, the Hawks can surround Young with at least three high level defenders at all times.

That being said, there’s still five players on the court, and as Snyder said, Young is going to have to “take pride” in his duties on the defensive side of the ball for this team to reach their ceiling. Young’s defense will be under the microscope this season. It will be interesting to see how he responds.

Lastly, Young’s contract situation is the elephant in the room in any conversations regarding Atlanta’s future beyond the 2025-26 season. Entering the final guaranteed year of his contract*, Young and the Hawks have yet to reach an agreement on an extension to keep the All-Star guard in Atlanta long term. In July, it was reported by ESPN’s Marc Spears that the contract stalemate between the two sides had been a point of consternation for Young this offseason, yet Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh and Atlanta’s front office have held firm on their stance, and with less than two weeks to go until opening night, it’s looking increasingly likely that this is a storyline that will drag on into the regular season.

*Young does have a player option for next season that he is all but certainly going to decline in favor of a more lucrative payday

Young is currently eligible to sign a 4-year/$229-million standard veteran extension starting at 30% of the cap in 2026-27 with 8% annual raises – an offer that has yet to be put on the table by Atlanta’s front office. Because Young has a player option for 2026-27, the two sides can carry on negotiating throughout the season*, however if they don’t come to an agreement before next summer, Young will be eligible for a 5-year/$288-million standard veteran contract** or – if he makes an All-NBA team this season – a monster, 5-year/$336-million supermax contract starting at 35% of the cap in 2026-27 with 8% annual raises.

* Provided that Young does not pick up his player option

** This deal would also start at 30% of of the cap in 2026-27 with 8% annual raises – though Young would be able to tack on an extra year by waiting until next summer to sign

While at first glance, it may seem logical for the Hawks to at least table the four-year maximum standard veteran extension. However given Atlanta’s cap situation, ownership’s aversion to paying the tax, and the fact that Dyson Daniels, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard are also set to be free agents at the end of the season, the reality is that it’s going to be extremely difficult to avoid paying the tax, extend Young at 30% of the cap, and keep the current top-eight intact, resulting in the hesitancy we currently see from Atlanta’s front office.

When asked at media day about whether there was any disappointment on his end about not getting an extension done, Young gave a professional response, saying:

“Um… I don’t know about the word disappointment. I mean, maybe. For me, I’m so focused, I’m more happy about the team we got heading into the season. For me, I’m blessed bro, I wasn’t stressing about anything, if something happened, it happened. If it didn’t, I still got time. Obviously everybody knows what my situation is going into the future so for me, I’m focused on this team, I’m focused on right now, I’m blessed, I’ve got a great team going into the season – one that I mean you can’t really say I’ve had so, I’m even more excited about that. Who knows what the future [holds] for me, but right now I’m here, I’m present, like me and coach have been talking about, so I’m excited about it and ready to go.”

Young is clearly a valuable player. He is the heartbeat of Atlanta’s offense. That being said, given his defensive limitations and the other contract situations the Hawks have to consider next summer, for a franchise that is, in the words of general manager Onsi Saleh, “looking to build something sustainable,” the number has to be just right.

This is a big year for the Atlanta Hawks, and perhaps, an even bigger one for Trae Young. For a player whose impact on winning has long been questioned, Young finally has the optimal roster around him to maximize his strengths and limit his weaknesses. Can Young get the most out of the Hawks new additions? Can he hold up defensively? Can he help elevate this roster into a fringe contender?

All these questions and more will be answered when the regular season tips off. Young is going to be a fascinating player to watch this season.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...rae-young-atlanta-hawks-video-quotes-analysis

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks complete preseason with dress rehearsal, lose to Rockets 133-115

The Atlanta Hawks were at home to face the Houston Rockets in their final preseason game before they get things started next week against the Toronto Raptors. After a thrilling win against the Miami Heat on Monday with none of the regular rotation playing, the Hawks had them back in the finale, with the exception of Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels (Quin Snyder said they’re both fine).

As for the Rockets, they didn’t have their regular rotation starting in their final preseason game.

Both teams came out slow to start the game, with the Rockets having more of an advantage. Nickeil Alexander-Walker got the Hawks on the board with a 3-pointer, and Trae Young followed with his own 3-pointer.

Trae sets up Nickeil for 3 then knocks down one of his own pic.twitter.com/IaSK6Z2Xe3

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 16, 2025

The Hawks had a few turnovers halfway through the first quarter, but they began to settle in as time went on. Zaccharie Risacher was one player who started to get into a rhythm, and he made his presence felt in the paint with a few good drives.

Zacch in attack mode ️️️ pic.twitter.com/9Blb32572W

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 17, 2025

Asa Newell got some early burn, and he showed off his athleticism after Alexander-Walker found him for an alley-oop.

Get up there Asa!! pic.twitter.com/ofOexNjAUV

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 17, 2025

To end the quarter, the Hawks trailed the Rockets 31-27. Going into the second quarter, Risacher continued to find his groove, knocking down this 3-pointer and then also hitting a fadeaway mid-range jumper.

Oh okay Zacch pic.twitter.com/UatJMzv1ZM

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 17, 2025

Kristaps Porzingis knocked down a 3-pointer minutes later.

KP for 3 on the pick and pop pic.twitter.com/a5afrAWmX6

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 17, 2025

Young decided to join in on the fun.

Trae from Midtown pic.twitter.com/XYK89aBbti

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 17, 2025

The offense started to get into a flow state at this point, and Young got his patented nutmeg to go through Josh Okogie’s leg to find Risacher, and he found Porzingis for an even better shot.

To end the first half, the Hawks led the Rockets 61-60.

The Rockets came out with their foot on the gas to start the second half and throughout the third quarter. The Hawks played behind for most of the quarter, but they tried to keep it close. Young turned defense into offense, getting a steal and then finding Alexander-Walker for an easy layup.

Trae with the cookies
Nickeil with the bucket pic.twitter.com/A60tBqgrLL

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 17, 2025

The Hawks turned it up a little on offense toward the end of the third, but were only able to put a little dent into their deficit, trailing 95-87 going into the fourth. That also ended Young, Alexander-Walker, Porzingis, Okongwu, and Kennard’s night.

Risacher continued his strong night to start the fourth, and he found Newell for a nice pass in the paint.

Young fellas on the court! https://t.co/G4jVRQBkX6 pic.twitter.com/A3G5EcUGuR

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 17, 2025

The Rockets’ backcourt had been a problem all night for the Hawks, and they continued to make things hard in the fourth, extending their lead. In the end, the Hawks were not able to make a comeback, and the Rockets walked away with the win.

Risacher finished the game with 24 points and seven rebounds, Porzingis finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds, Alexander-Walker finished with 17 points, and Young finished with 12 points and 10 assists.

The Hawks will be back in action for their season opener next Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...-with-dress-rehearsal-lose-to-rockets-133-115

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Rockets at Hawks, preseason: start time, TV, streaming, radio, game thread

The Hawks conclude their brief preseason slate with their second game against the Rockets.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen​

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Start Time: 7:30 EST PM

TV: ESPN 2

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: Watch ESPN (out of market), Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...son-start-time-tv-streaming-radio-game-thread

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

PTH Roundtable: what player will exceed expectations this season?

This is the first of a series of roundtable questions I’m asking the staff here at Peachtree Hoops about the Hawks this upcoming season. The first question: who is someone that will outperform expectations or break out this season?

---

Wes: I’m keeping my eye on Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Even though he was signed in the offseason to a long-term deal after 2.5 productive seasons off Minnesota’s bench (and figures to come off the bench here as well), I think there is some untapped offensive upside there.

He just turned 27 this September, and on a Hawks team without a “natural” backup point guard, I could see ‘NAW’ stepping into the role as more of an on-ball creator when Trae Young sits. Defense has gotten him on the floor to this point in his career, but my prediction is he has the handle and shooting to top, say, 12 points per game this season even in limited minutes.

Hassan: Onyeka Okongwu already kind of broke out last season, averaging 15.1 points and 10.1 rebounds in 31 minutes a night over Atlanta’s final 40 games while taking over for Clint Capela as the team’s starting center. He was spectacular in their play-in elimination game against Miami, going for 28 points on 12-for-19 shooting (4-for-8 from three!) to go along with 12 rebounds and three steals. Even more impressive, he was able to be relatively impactful on defense while logging just two fouls in 50 minutes of play. How’s that for growth?

Yet, after trading for Kristaps Porzingis over the summer, it appears that as long as the Latvian stays healthy this season, Okongwu will return to a role off the bench. That said, I wouldn’t expect that to slow his development, and I actually think the addition of Porzingis could help Okongwu have the strongest season of his career in 2025-26.

Okongwu is already one of the most efficient scoring bigs in the NBA. His true shooting percentage as a starter (65.2%) ranked seventh amongst the 34 centers who started at least 40 games last season. This year, going up against backups whenever Porzingis needs a blow, I’d expect him to have similar, if not more, success.

Okongwu also looked more comfortable shooting from deep last season (36.2% on 2.4 attempts per game as a starter), which will not only help space the floor when he is operating as the lone big this season, but will also make it easier for Quin Snyder to experiment with Okongwu/Porzingis ‘double big’ lineups – as we’ve seen during preseason. In these minutes, Okongwu can pummel mismatches when guarded by a smaller defender and/or feast on a steady diet of corner threes if the defense gets preoccupied by an action involving Young and Porzingis.

On the defensive end of the floor, Okongwu’s combination of size, foot-speed and agility make him one of the most switchable bigs in the NBA and I could not be more excited about the defensive upside of a Hawks ‘switch-everything’ lineup featuring Okongwu, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Zaccharie Risacher and Jalen Johnson.

Okongwu could be Atlanta’s version of Naz Reid this season. He’s a deep sleeper for the ‘6MOTY’ award.

Chase: Zaccharie Risacher is poised to take a big leap in his second year. The former number one overall pick averaged 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game last season. The experience he gained throughout the year, paired with his work on the French national team this summer, sets him up well to exceed expectations.

I expect him not only to improve his offensive production, raising his scoring average to around 16 to 18 points per game, but also to take a step forward defensively. His most recent preseason game is a great example of what he can accomplish on a nightly basis. Risacher could be one of the league’s biggest surprises in his sophomore season.

Graham: I’ll put forward two players: one who will outperform expectations and one who may breakout. I think people are going to be surprised at what Luke Kennard is going to bring to the table. I think for many he falls into the ol’ Kevin Huerter reputation of ‘He’s just a shooter,’ but he’s more than that.

He brings a passing dimension to his elite shooting, and having a player like this on the perimeter who can be in place to hit a three, or attack a closeout and find a pass is going to be good for the Hawks. Additionally, he can handle a few possessions in the half-court and be another player who can relieve some pressure off of Young handling the ball and open things up for Young. Kennard is going to be an important contributor off the bench, even if he’s one of the players who many will obviously talk about less than the likes of Porzingis or Alexander-Walker.

For a breakout player, and I don’t know what his projection is now after the summer acquisitions, but I would have had Mo Gueye as a player to look for to make a bit of a (relative) leap this season. I think there were enough flashes, especially the Orlando play-in game, that suggested there could be more to be had with Gueye.

His place in the rotation is probably up in the air, but if there’s any absences from Porzingis or Okongwu, the Hawks will need Gueye to be somewhat ready. I’m not as high on Gueye as some are, but I’m certainly intrigued.

Malik: Zaccharie Risacher had a solid rookie season last year, and during the second half of the season, he really made strides and looked more comfortable every game. I do think there is another level that he can reach, and I believe he’ll be the breakout player for the Hawks this season.

Throughout the preseason, Risacher showed some things in his game that could help him and the team this year, and his ability to create his own shot will be big. Another thing that he showed this preseason was making plays for others, as he had some good passes to a few of his teammates. A Year 2 improvement should be in the cards for Risacher.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...-risacher-onyeka-okongwu-nba-alexander-walker

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks convert both Wallace, Houstan, waive both Bassey, Butler

Atlanta made some moves towards finalizing their opening day roster.

The Hawks announced earlier today that they had waived center Charles Bassey and guard Lamont Butler.

We have requested waivers on center Charles Bassey and guard Lamont Butler

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 18, 2025

That pair will likely clear waivers and end up on the College Park Skyhawks, earning a cool $85,300 if they last a few months with the team.

Now, this afternoon, the Hawks converted Keaton Wallace to a standard deal off his two-way contract — contractually a minimum-valued deal worth around $2 million for the season. This was first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania:

The Atlanta Hawks are converting two-way guard Keaton Wallace on a one-year NBA contract, agents Max Lipsett and Marcus Monk of Excel Sports Management tell ESPN. Wallace has been on two-way deals with Hawks and Clippers since being undrafted in 2021, and now earns a full deal.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 18, 2025

Caleb Houston will step into that briefly unfilled final two-way spot as the Hawks have reportedly converted his Exhibit 10 deal per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmusik:

Caleb Houstan will be on a two-way deal with the Hawks. https://t.co/tz60vBrpH0

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) October 18, 2025

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/late...-houstan-caleb-charles-bassey-nba-latest-news

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

PTH Roundtable: with which lineup should Hawks close games?

This is the second of a series of roundtable questions I’m asking the staff here at Peachtree Hoops about the Hawks this upcoming season. The first roundtable can be found here. The second question: what is the best lineup the Hawks could use to close a game?

---

Wes: I’m going to cheat and give you two lineups. This first one is when you’re up and just need to salt away the game. For me, you can’t go wrong with the likely starting lineup of Young, Daniels, Risacher, Johnson, and Porzingis. The collective length and cohesiveness as the unit plays with each other throughout the season will make it tough to break down in halfcourt defensive sets.

But if the team needs a bucket late, I think a three guard look would suit the team best. Bring in Nickeil Alexander-Walker for Zaccharie Risacher for the extra ball handling and experience, and teams won’t be able to trap Trae Young at halfcourt as easily.

Chase: I won’t get too cute with this answer and leave it at what I think are our five best players: Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson and Kristaps Porzingis. You can easily make the argument to put in ‘OO’ if we are in desperate need of a rebound or even get Kennard off the bench for a three-point shooting lineup. The talent Atlanta has this year does make this an intriguing question, and Quin is going to have a lot of fun playing with the lineups this season.

Graham: What I like about this question is that now there’s enough talent in the roster to expand this to when the Hawks need a basket to needing a stop to close a game. For needing a basket, it’s Young, Jalen Johnson, Porzingis, Risacher, and I’d probably actually lean towards Okongwu for crashing the offensive glass.

I’d only be slightly worried about a secondary option if Young is doubled and the ball isn’t able to get to Johnson, it’s missing a third creator in case the play breaks down, but it has a good mix of penetration, shooting, and offensive rebounding potential if the shot is missed. I’d like to see what Daniels’ improvements are shooting the ball and getting by defenders on the drive but he’s definitely an option offensively, and if there’s time coming back on the other end you definitely want him on the floor.

Defensively to close, Daniels, Alexander-Walker, Johnson, Risacher/Okongwu/Porzingis. Sometimes one or both bigs may be called for depending on the matchup, and if not I think Risacher probably squeezes in just as a more mobile body on the perimeter. Still very excited to see Daniels/Alexander-Walker, and Johnson in defensive lineups.

Hassan: The ‘closing five’ will vary from game to game depending on the matchups and situation, but I like the five-man group of Trae Young, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson and Kristaps Porzingis. I believe the Young/Johnson pick-and-roll is going to be one of Atlanta’s most fruitful offensive actions this season, and the three-point shooting talent between Alexander-Walker, Risacher and Porzingis should provide ample spacing for them to exert maximum pressure on the defense if their half-court offense is predicated around Young and Johnson.

While this does leave Dyson Daniels on the bench, if Alexander-Walker can bring 70-80% of what Daniels does on defense, adding in the fact that he is a far better three-point shooter, I think he gets the nod over Daniels if the Hawks are chasing a lead.

As far as a ‘need a stop’ lineup, I think Daniels, Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson and Porzingis are locks to play. Then I’d go with either Risacher or Okongwu as the fifth man depending on the matchups.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...ta-hawks-nba-opinion-trae-young-jalen-johnson

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Report: Dyson Daniels, Hawks lock in 4-year, $100 million extension

Today was the deadline for first-round picks in the 2022 NBA Draft to reach rookie extensions with their respective teams, and the big player that met the criteria for Atlanta was last year’s Defensive Player of the Year runner up and reigning Most Improved Player, Dyson Daniels.

With a few hours to spare, Shams Charania of ESPN broke the news that Atlanta and Daniels had agreed on a four-year, $100 million extension to keep him in Atlanta until 2030.

Atlanta Hawks All-Defensive guard Dyson Daniels has agreed to a four-year, $100 million rookie contract extension with the franchise, agent Daniel Moldovan of Lighthouse Sports Management tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/YncGaDAe7f

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 20, 2025

For Daniels, it’s a huge payday for a player who came off the bench for the first two seasons of his career in New Orleans. For Atlanta, it locks in a key piece for the foreseeable future who still has room to grow in his basketball career.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/late...ar-100-million-extension-latest-news-breaking

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

PTH Roundtable: what is your bold take for the season?

This is the next question in a series of roundtable questions I’m asking the staff here at Peachtree Hoops about the Hawks this upcoming season. The previous roundtable can be found here. Today’s question: what is your boldest take for the Hawks in 2025-26?

---

Wes: The Hawks finish top 10 in both offense and defense this season. The franchise hasn’t accomplished this since 2014-15. I think they finally have the pieces to do it, which should put them on the fringe of the top five in net rating for this upcoming season.

I shouldn’t have to sell you too hard on a top 10 finish on offense. The Hawks accomplished this in every season between 2020-21 and 2022-23 and were on pace to do so in 2023-24 until Trae Young tore a finger ligament late in the season. Last year was the transition year, but with Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and others here now, I think the offense hums.

Other than Trae Young and Keaton Wallace, every player is at least 6’5”, and the roster is littered with great athletes with impressive measurables. The Hawks also stocked up on reserve big men between Mo Gueye, Asa Newell, and N’Faly Dante, so even if injuries hit, they have the bulk and rim deterrence to play consistently tough defense from game 1 to game 82.

Chase: Trae Young finishes top five in MVP voting. He’s led the league in assists per game and has already taken this team to the Eastern Conference Finals. There’s no doubt he has the talent. His numbers speak for themselves, and while he still needs to improve his efficiency, this year he’s set up with arguably the most talented group of teammates he’s ever had. With the Hawks’ predicted success, the league will be forced to take notice and Trae Young will be seen as the player Hawks fans know him to be.

Graham: I’ll preface my ‘bold’ take with this: I try to be fair and objective as much as I can and try remove bias from my writing. That being said, I think this team – if everything clicks – can go to the NBA Finals this season. I think you can make a fairly solid case for it now.

Everything is in place that you could possibly hope for. There’s never been this level of defense around/behind Young, never this much overall talent around him, nor this level of passing around him to take the pressure off him to run everything and hope to survive the non-Trae minutes. The roster is deeper in quality with a mix of developing youth that should be able to contribute, and experience. Outside of what’s going on with the Hawks, the East is considerably weaker this year. Boston are limited in what they can achieve without Tatum, Haliburton is out for the season, the Sixers are injury prone, etc. The main barriers to the Finals include the Cavaliers, Knicks, potentially Magic and Bucks – none of those teams should be considered out of the Hawks’ grasp at this moment, and certainly teams the Hawks wouldn’t fear in the postseason.

I can just see all of this working. I see the defense around and behind Young working well, I see players like Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher improving this season, I see the Hawks having enough ball-handling and creation around Young to ease the playmaking and scoring load, and perhaps with all of that – plus the ingenuity of Quin Snyder – it can unlock more out of Young. All of this is ‘In best case scenario,’ but I can see it working.

But it also has to work this season. If the Hawks can’t make it work this season, I don’t think it’s outrageous to believe that it’s just not going to happen for this iteration of the Hawks with Young as the star leader. They could run it back next season but would their best chance have passed them by as other teams re-arm/get their guys back? They’re young enough that it could be done, but they may not get an opportunity like this again with this current iteration of the Trae Young-Hawks. I believe in it, and I think they have everything in place to make it happen.

Malik: My boldest take is that the Hawks finish as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Hassan: I’ve got three bold predictions for you. First, I think Trae Young becomes the third player in NBA history to average 12+ assists per game this season – joining Magic Johnson and John Stockton. Young averaged 11.6 dimes per game last season, and has increased his assists average in each season of his career. This season, given Atlanta’s new additions as well as the pace that this team is expected to play at, he should have an ample amount of opportunities to rack up assists.

Second, Zaccharie Risacher cements his status as the player with the highest ceiling in the 2024 draft class. Risacher started off slowly last season, but still managed to finish second in Rookie of the Year voting (though he only received 5 first-place votes) after averaging 14.9 points on 51.8% shooting from the field and 42.1% from three (5.1 attempts per game) over the final 35 games of the season. After spending the summer working on his game and competing in Eurobasket with the French national team, Risacher appears poised for a year-two leap.

This season, if he can play with more force on both ends, improve his scoring and passing ability off the drive, and continue to shoot the ball at a high rate, the sky is the limit for him as a player. I’m excited to see what he does in year two.

Third, and the spiciest of the three, I think that by January, the Hawks will have engaged the Milwaukee Bucks in trade talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo is 30 years old with two years left on his contract and has made it clear that he intends to compete for a championship for as long as he is in his prime, either in Milwaukee or elsewhere. Even after sacrificing Damian Lillard to free up the cap room to trade for Myles Turner, Milwaukee’s roster still has more than a few holes – especially on the wing and in the playmaking department – and I’d say their chances of competing for a championship this season are slim-to-none.

While it’s a little complicated with the protections, Atlanta has part-ownership over Milwaukee’s 2026 and 2028 first-round picks as well as a few picks of their own to include in a potential deal. They also have a burgeoning young star (who happens to be from Milwaukee) in Jalen Johnson. The ingredients are there for the Hawks to cobble together an extremely enticing offer if Milwaukee’s season goes sideways.

There are a lot of factors at play here, but if the situation and price are right, Atlanta could emerge as a destination for Giannis.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...g-giannis-antetokounmpo-jalen-johnson-opinion

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Raptors at Hawks: start time, TV, streaming, radio, game thread

The Hawks kick off their 2025-26 season with a visit from the Canadian neighbors from up north.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen​

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Start Time: 7:30 EST PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...wks-start-time-tv-streaming-radio-game-thread

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Raptors run wild in Atlanta

On the heels of an offseason deemed as the “best in the NBA” by the league’s general managers, the Atlanta Hawks got stomped in their season opener on Wednesday night, losing by 20 points to the Toronto Raptors in a game that was basically over by the 10:00 mark of the 4th quarter.

Trae Young finished with 22 points and five assists, however he shot just 5-for-14 from the floor and just 1-for-7 from the perimeter (11-for-13 at the free-throw stripe). Defensively, he struggled against a physical group of Raptors guards.

Jalen Johnson put up 22 points (7-for-13 from the floor), eight assists and seven rebounds in his first regular season minutes since January. Kristaps Porzingis finished with 20 points (5-for-12 from the floor, 4-for-7 from three), seven rebounds and two blocks in his Hawks debut.

Zaccharie Risacher briefly exited the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury but returned shortly after, and finished with 16 points (7-for-13 from the floor, 2-for-6 from three) in 21 minutes. Nickeil Alexander-Walker shot just 2-for-15 from the floor in his Hawks debut, but he redeemed himself with an outstanding showing on the defensive end of the floor (despite the final scoreline).

Dyson Daniels had a game to forget, getting into foul trouble early on, finishing with four points, two assists, and three turnovers (five fouls) in 23 minutes.

Meanwhile, it was a balanced offensive attack for Toronto, with seven players finishing in double digits. RJ Barrett led all scorers with 25 points on 9-for-12 shooting. Scottie Barnes finished with 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds.

While Toronto led for the majority of the night, this was a competitive game in the first half. Atlanta closed the second quarter on a 13-6 run to cut the Raptors lead to 65-59, and the home team had some momentum heading into the halftime break.

Unfortunately, it all came apart in the 3rd quarter. Atlanta were outscored 45-28 in the period, providing no resistance on the defensive end of the floor as Toronto shot 14-for-19 from the field (12-for-12 in the restricted area) and 16-for-18 from the free-throw line.

The Raptors led 110-87 after three quarters and never looked back, dealing Atlanta a harsh reminder that wins are earned – not given – in the NBA.

All in all, Atlanta were outscored 86-56 in points in the paint. They were outscored 34-11 in fastbreak points, and were outrebounded 54-34, with Toronto holding a slight edge in second-chance points as well.

Quin Snyder struck a disappointed figure after the game, saying:

“Toronto played hard. They ran. Anytime you give up 30+ fastbreak points and you couple that with 86 points in the paint. They were getting in there a lot of different ways but I think transition, having urgency to get back, you start there. If you don’t get back and give teams easy baskets in transition it’s going to be tough to do anything after that.”

“On some level, games like this, you know they’re going to come in some capacity. It’s tough to have this on your home opener. The enthusiasm that we have needs to get channeled correctly into the things that are going to help us win games. For our team, we know what those things are, but they require focus and they require work. Tonight we felt the level that we have to work on. If we don’t do that, this is the result that we get.”

Trae Young, true to character, didn’t sugarcoat things in his postgame presser:

“I don’t think there’s too many positives you can take from tonight. Obviously the result was what it was and it’s embarrassing the way we started it. A lot of it comes from the preseason, obviously it carried over, we didn’t play all five of us, and you could tell by the continuity we had out there and it wasn’t right. But that’s the part of the NBA, the cream always rises to the top. So we got some time to make it up and we got to get going.”

“A lot of it is on us. Transition defense is on us… we gotta be better as a team and understand that’s what the scouting report is, teams think they can get a lot of transition points on us so they’re – even when we’re scoring – they’re grabbing the ball and throwing it full court. Guys are leaking out. If we’re missing like we did tonight, they’re able to get out and get in transition. Obviously we have to be better about making shots, that cuts out transition defense. But at the same time if we do miss, we gotta get back regardless. It doesn’t matter if we miss or make, we gotta get back and that’s on us as the players because [coach] has definitely emphasized that especially after the last preseason game.”

The Hawks will have a chance to right the ship and earn their first win of the season on Friday in a road tilt against the Orlando Magic. Below are a few takeaways from Atlanta’s season opener. Let’s get to it.

---

Paint Defense Was A Catastrophe

Neither team shot the ball well from the outside in this one, with Toronto going 6-for-25 (24%) from three and Atlanta just 10-for-35 (29%), however the story of the night was the Hawks getting outscored 86-56 in the paint. The 86 paint-points they allowed was a staggering number, ranking as the sixth-most points in the paint conceded by an NBA team over the past three seasons. Not great, Bob!

In terms of how Toronto got there, it was a mix of transition leakouts and poor half-court defense. The Raptors turned 10 steals into 18 points (1.8 points-per-possession) and really made an effort to push the pace off Atlanta’s misses, turning 49% of their ‘live’ defensive rebounds into a transition possession, scoring 1.31 points per possession (ppp) on these possessions per cleaningtheglass.

In the half-court, the Hawks just couldn’t contain Toronto’s drives.

Dyson Daniels being in foul trouble for the majority of the contest didn’t make life easier for Atlanta on the defensive end but even so, the Hawks have to show more fight on this end of the floor. The defensive woes were a major talking point in the postgame press conference, and it’s going to be interesting to see how they respond against Orlando on Friday.

Mixed Bag for the New Additions

Atlanta made waves over the summer when they added Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to their roster, and while all three players showed flashes of their ability, Hawks fans will be hoping that the best is yet to come for their new additions after their regular season debuts.

Starting with Porzingis, while his final numbers were decent, it (understandably) still seems like he’s feeling out his role in the offense. The Unicorn scored 20 points in 26 minutes, but shot 5-for-12 from the floor (6-for-6 from the free-throw stripe), and went just 1-for-5 from inside the arc. He is an expert at destroying mismatches in the post, but perhaps due to Toronto’s size, it seemed like Atlanta had a hard time getting him switched onto smaller defenders in this contest.

Porzingis did hit four threes – two in transition and two in the half-court – and I especially enjoyed the setup on this play in the fourth quarter. Young and Johnson occupy the defense’s attention running a pick-and-roll at the top of the key while Porzingis comes off a baseline screen for a catch-and-shoot corner three.

I’m excited to watch Porzingis find his footing in Atlanta’s offense as the season progresses.

As for Alexander-Walker, it was a dismal shooting night for the former Timberwolf, finishing with 10 points on a measly 2-for-15 shooting effort. That said, I absolutely loved the energy he played with on the defensive side of the ball. He is a certified pest who seems to raise the level of his teammates with his effort and aggression. His impact on this end goes beyond the box score, though I thought it was notable (even though we’re dealing with miniscule sample sizes here) that Atlanta posted a defensive rating of 100 in his 28 minutes of action – the best mark amongst the top-eight.

Alexander-Walker will shoot better, though he might do well to reign in the shot selection. If he can improve the offense and keep up the level of defense he showed in the preseason and against Toronto, the 4-year/$60-million contract he signed last summer will begin to look like a steal.

Lastly, Luke Kennard was the least impressive of Atlanta’s new signings in the opener. He finished with six points (2-for-7 shooting, 1-for-5 from three), three assists and three turnovers in 30 minutes and wasn’t particularly impactful on either end of the floor.

Kennard was never projected to be an above average defender, but even so, he really struggled on that end last night. In particular, lineups with Kennard and Young together have a lot of scope for improvement, as they were smoked on the defensive end (144.7 defensive rating) in their 17 minutes on the court together against Toronto.

On the offensive end, I’d like to see Kennard be more aggressive from beyond the three-point arc. The box score shows he took five threes last night, but three of them (including his lone make) came in the last eight minutes, when the game was well out of reach.

If Atlanta can find a way to get him going earlier in the contest, it will give the defense another threat to account for, making the overall offense more difficult to guard. Kennard has the ability, he just has to let it fly within the flow of the offense.

Jalen Johnson: Good at Basketball

While it was a disappointing performance from the Hawks last night, one bright spot was the play of Jalen Johnson, Atlanta’s 23 year-old rising star playing in his first regular season game since his season-ending shoulder injury back in January.

Johnson finished with 22 points on 7-for-13 shooting, eight assists and seven rebounds and was back to his usual tricks – killing the defense with his off-ball movement and transition drives.

Nickeil checks in and immediately dimes up Jalen for a jam! pic.twitter.com/llflec1xni

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 22, 2025

Tried to tackle Jalen and it didn't matter pic.twitter.com/2OKmiC07WU

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 23, 2025

Of course, it would not be a Jalen Johnson game without him throwing some outrageous passes, and he certainly had his fair share of impressive dimes last night.

Look at Jalen's hangtime on this assist pic.twitter.com/mO7Q2JfPeO

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 23, 2025

Jalen is absurd making this pass so simply pic.twitter.com/MSIMkOwbo3

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 23, 2025

Point JJ lobs to OO pic.twitter.com/pgUxQyiYRM

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 23, 2025

While it was an impressive showing from Johnson, the one area he needs to improve this season is his outside shooting ability. He went 0-for-2 last night, and if he can start to knock these down with any level of consistency, it will help raise Atlanta’s offensive ceiling even higher.

I said it in preseason, I’ll say it again – and I’ll probably keep saying it as the season goes on. It’s an absolute pleasure watching Jalen Johnson play basketball. It’s great to have him back.

---

Take a deep breath Hawks fans. There’s a ton of basketball left to be played. This is a young team, and growth isn’t linear. Watching a team as talented as this one build chemistry, find their groove and unlock their full potential is one of the most enjoyable parts of being a fan – no matter the sport. I’m excited to see how this team evolves over the next 81 games.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...analysis-quotes-video-stats-jalen-johnson-nba

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks disqualified for false start, blown out 138-118 in opener

The Hawks at long last tipped off their season against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night in State Farm Arena.

Atlanta deployed their expected new lineup with Kristaps Porzingis at the five to make his Hawks debut. For Toronto, it was the first time Brandon Ingram suited up for them since being acquired at the last trade deadline.

Offense was difficult early on against a long Raptors team with active hands. Their first basket wasn’t until four minutes in via a long Jalen Johnson out of bounds outlet to Zaccharie Risacher.

Dyson Daniels picked up two early fouls, and so the first substitution of the season was him going out for new acquisition Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

He made an immediate impact:

Nickeil checks in and immediately dimes up Jalen for a jam! pic.twitter.com/llflec1xni

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 22, 2025

Jalen Johnson was a big reason behind the Hawks handing in the contest until the rest of the team woke up. He has a nice layoff pass to Onyeka Okongwu for a dunk below:

Look at Jalen's hangtime on this assist pic.twitter.com/mO7Q2JfPeO

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 23, 2025

Towards the end of the period, the Hawks were able to string together some stops and capitalize on offense. They pulled to within two after a deep Young trey in the final seconds and they trailed 36-34 after one.

The start to the second quarter was rough, however. Atlanta’s bench unit largely struggled to get anything going, and they quickly found themselves down by 10 points.

Keaton Wallace took a spill after coming up with a steal, and he had to leave the game with a towel over his face after falling to the floor hard. Nickeil Alexander-Walker later joined him in the locker room due to injury, although his visit was brief. These incidents really symbolized the first half for the Hawks.

With most of the starters back in, the offense flowed better, and Atlanta was able to cut into the lead. Kristaps Porzingis helped by doing unicorn things on both ends of the floor:

KP for 3 pic.twitter.com/tqcklB2rX7

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 23, 2025

At the half, the Hawks trailed 65-59. Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Johnson both had 12 at the break, and Trae Young added 10.

It was a chippy affair in the second half, and Dyson Daniels picked up his fifth foul in the game just a few minutes in forcing him to hit the bench for a long stretch. Atlanta kept giving up transition points off misses, and without Johnson’s stellar game, they would have found themselves a long way adrift.

Despite a decent game in the halfcourt on both ends, Toronto’s relentless pushing of the ball after Hawks misses gave Atlanta tons of fits and easy points for the foes. By the end of the third quarter, it was a 28-6 margin in fast break points for the foes.

After three quarters, the Hawks trailed 110-87.

The fourth quarter came and went, and little changed. The Hawks fell 138-118. Jalen Johnson and Trae Young both led the Hawks with 22 points. RJ Barrett was the high scorer in the game with 25.

The Hawks head to Orlando to try to bounce back on Friday.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/reca...news-trae-young-jalen-johnson-toronto-raptors

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

PTH Rountable: what is everyone’s record and playoff predictions?

This is the next question in a series of roundtable questions I’m asking the staff here at Peachtree Hoops about the Hawks this upcoming season. The previous roundtable can be found here. Today’s question: what is your prediction for record for the Hawks this season? And how far do they go in the playoffs?

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Wes: I think the Hawks just crack 50 wins (50-32), get to the second round of the playoffs, and fall to the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.

Chase: My bet is the Hawks finish at 52-30. It should be good enough to finish as a top 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Graham: While I believe in this team’s ability to be able to go all the way to the Finals, there is an element that may force them to manage/rest players (such as Porzingis) in the regular season to keep them fresh for the playoffs. While that may take away a few wins here and there, it’s always – always – worth remembering the Hawks play in a shite weakened Eastern Conference, and if the Hawks are a properly good team, they will eat up wins against the Eastern Conference if everyone is healthy. Put me down for 52 wins.

I get a lot of similar vibes to the 2015-16 Hawks: a team I believed in their postseason ability even if their regular season wins total didn’t reflect that. While that team won 48 games (and, while I loved that team, I’ll never forgive them for not being able to beat the Wizards’ C-team on that final day of the regular season to break that hectic tiebreaker that doomed them to a second-round matchup against the Cavaliers), I believed they could have gone toe-to-toe with anyone in the conference…other than the Cavs.

The current iteration of the Cavaliers could present a similar dynamic to the Hawks, but I think after last season people aren’t going to take them seriously until they get to the playoffs, even if they win 60+ games again this season.

Malik: I think the Hawks will finish 48-34 and finish as a top 4 seed in the East.

Hassan: 49 wins – good for the 4 or 5 seed in the East. Provided everyone is healthy for the postseason, I think this team can win a first-round playoff series too.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...ks-prediction-opinion-nba-analysis-trae-young

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks complete fourth quarter comeback, defeat Magic 111-107

The Atlanta Hawks were in Orlando on Friday evening to face the Magic after a disappointing season opener against the Toronto Raptors. It would be a tough battle to redeem themselves, as they came into the matchup down Zaccharie Risacher with an ankle injury and Kristaps Porzingis with flu-like symptoms.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu took their places, and the Hawks went to battle. After not being able to make an impact against the Raptors because of foul trouble, Dyson Daniels got the first points for the Hawks with a spin layup.

Dyson spins to his spot pic.twitter.com/jsIUFZu8oK

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 24, 2025

Already down one player in the frontcourt, Okongwu picked up two early fouls, which led Mouhamed Gueye to come in early. He made his presence known early, turning defense into offense for the Hawks.

Major Mo SWAT to a Nickeil Euro bucket pic.twitter.com/EtTHsXXhiI

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 24, 2025

Later on, Gueye knocked down a wide-open 3-pointer to give the Hawks a three-point lead in the first.

Mo corner 3 yessir!! pic.twitter.com/4OBdkJuCXh

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 24, 2025

He then showed off his playmaking with this pass to Vit Krejci.

Quick strikes ️ pic.twitter.com/qzlvF0Wnfj

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 24, 2025

The game was physical in the first quarter, and it definitely set the tone for what it was going to be like for the remainder of the game. Going into the second quarter, the Hawks led 25-24.

The Magic started to string some shots together to the start the second quarter, and they took the lead and extended it. On the other hand, the Hawks had a hard time getting anything to go offensively. Things started to get physical again midway through the second, as Gueye and Paolo Banchero got into it.

That didn’t bother Gueye, and he got this easy dunk after the Hawks forced a turnover.

Keep working Mo pic.twitter.com/gpIaNgeh2a

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2025

Despite making plays on the defensive end, the Hawks were still stagnant on offense, and they found themselves down as much as 14 points in the quarter because of it. The one thing is that the Hawks didn’t let it get too out of hand, and they kept their deficit around 10 points.

The one constant in the first half was the strong play of Gueye, and he got an and-one to go on a fast break.

MO MO MO pic.twitter.com/EMXUExO42X

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2025

Going into halftime, the Hawks trailed 61-51. To start the third quarter, the Hawks found a rhythm on offense for a little bit, but the Magic continued to extend their lead. The Hawks kept fighting, and turned defense into offense again. This time it was Okongwu on the break with the and-one.

O all by himself plus the foul pic.twitter.com/71q4ihhgnT

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2025

All it took was one run for the Hawks to cut their deficit, and that’s what happened late in the third quarter.

Alexander-Walker was a big reason for their run, as he scored 10 points in the quarter.

Back-to-back buckets by Nickeil brings him to 17 points for the night pic.twitter.com/lXKlqvqhbS

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2025

Gueye continued to make plays as well.

Mo Gueye is everywhere!! pic.twitter.com/Zr2XFSoHX3

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2025

The Hawks cut their deficit down to as much as four points, but the Magic made a run as well and brought their lead back up to eight points going into the fourth. There was still some fight left in them, and the bench unit got things rolling.

Vit opens the 4th with a triple pic.twitter.com/8gjYjDV2s9

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2025

The Hawks continued to chip away, and the rookie got in on the run with a corner 3-pointer.

Asa Newell Welcome to the NBA!!! pic.twitter.com/hWoifPRcYo

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2025

Asa Newell came back again, and Young found him for an alley-oop dunk to tie the game.

Asa Newell AGAIN

12-0 Run

Tie Game! pic.twitter.com/RhEy5OmbR3

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2025

Young started to get it going himself, and he gave the Hawks their first lead since the second quarter.

Trae from Epcot

15-0 run, and the Hawks lead!! pic.twitter.com/wI13jRiWzE

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2025

The Hawks kept executing down the stretch, and it got Okongwu an open 3-pointer.

BIg O corner pocket YESSIR pic.twitter.com/m96cqePwaw

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2025

The Magic came back with their own mini-run and tied the game at 105 with 54 seconds left in the game. Out of the timeout, Young knocked down a floater to give the Hawks the lead. Jalen Suggs came down and answered with his own layup to tie the game.

Young made it a chess match, and came right back down and got Wendell Carter Jr. switched onto him, and drew a foul to go to the free throw line, knocking down both and giving the Hawks the lead again with 21 seconds remaining.

The Hawks put all their defenders in, and it worked as they forced Banchero into a tough 3-pointer that he missed, and Gueye ended up with the ball to call a timeout. Young was fouled, knocked down both free throws, and that put the nail in the coffin, giving the Hawks a four-point lead their first win of the season.

HAWK HUSTLE pic.twitter.com/KAXd1zNcMp

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2025

Young finished with 25 points and six assists, Alexander-Walker finished with 19 points, Okongwu finished with 17 pointa, and Gueye finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.

The Hawks will be back in action tomorrow to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/reca...-fourth-quarter-comeback-defeat-magic-111-107

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Thunder at Hawks: start time, TV, streaming, radio, game thread

The Hawks welcome Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s cousin, Keaton Wallace’s brother, and the rest of the defending champion Thunder.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen​

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Start Time: 7:30 EST PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE), NBA TV

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...wks-start-time-tv-streaming-radio-game-thread

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks unable to keep pace in loss to defending champions Thunder

The Atlanta Hawks were unable to take their first home victory of the new season on Saturday night at State Farm Arena, falling short 117-100 at the hands of the NBA’s defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Hawks in scoring with 17 points, while Trae Young notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists. For the visiting Thunder, Chet Holmgren scored a game-high 31 points with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander adding 30 points.

For the second game in a row, the Hawks were dealt with less than ideal injury news prior to the game. Jalen Johnson was ruled out with a right-ankle sprain, with Kristaps Porzingis (flu-like symptoms) and Zaccharie Risacher (right-ankle sprain) continuing to miss out having missed the Orlando game on Friday night. In their place, Onyeka Okongwu and Alexander-Walker remained in the starting lineup as they did in Orlando, joined by Mo Gueye. For the Thunder, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Kenrich Williams and Isaiah Joe all missed out of this contest.

A less than ideal start for the Hawks to be already down three starters against a team like the Thunder, and matters unfolded perhaps as expected as the Hawks went down by double-digits in the first quarter as Holmgren hit four three-pointers en route to 14 first quarter points.

The Hawks made a strong reply in the second quarter, cutting the lead to one point late in the first half, before the Thunder entered the break with a five point lead. It was in the third quarter where the game was blown open in the Thunder’s favor.

The Hawks started the third quarter slow, and the Thunder opened the lead up to 13 points behind an 8-0 run to begin the second half behind Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren. The Thunder would go on to outscore the Hawks 39-25 in the quarter — the big difference in this period were the turnovers.

Turnovers were incredibly costly for the Hawks not just in the third quarter (eight) but for the game itself (16). It’s not so much the number (though, eight in a quarter is far too many) but how good the Thunder were off of them, scoring 16 points off the Hawks eight turnovers in the third quarter, and 29 for the game. Let’s look at the third quarter turnovers that cost the Hawks.

Alexander-Walker does well to telegraph the pass to the perimeter but his attempted pass inside to the running Gueye is itself intercepted as Holmgren steams back to take the pass away from Gueye. Gilgeous-Alexander then brings the ball up the floor, drives, and pulls up on a dime to hit the jumper over Dyson Daniels:

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This was not the only time Holmgren came up with a play similar to this; it’s remarkable how well he moves and his height just gives him great defensive tools to be able to intercept lobs.

One reason any matchup with the Thunder becomes complicated is their defensive versatility: they have so many guys who can defend, and defend on the perimeter. This makes life difficult for Young on this possession as he’s swarmed on the pick-and-roll with Daniels as both Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort converge to deflect Young’s pass and come up with the steal:

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Again, the Hawks would come up with a good play, then turn the ball over, and the Thunder capitalize. This time in a late-clock situation, Gueye gets a good block in on Holmgren and then leads the break, but his pass back to the oncoming Daniels is picked off by Cason Wallace. Gilgeous-Alexander picks up the loose ball, weaves his way up the court, draws two to the ball and shifts it back to Holmgren who hits a three-pointer:

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A good contest from Daniels all things considered (i.e., the size of Holmgren) but not sure what Gueye was doing doubling Gilgeous-Alexander and leaving Holmgren when Alexander-Walker is capable of defending.

Again, another situation where the Hawks come up with a good play, turn the ball over, and the Thunder punish it. Alexander-Walker again comes up with a steal — this time on the baseline — and delivers the ball to Young, who is almost certainly going to find Gueye for an alley-oop.

Once again, it’s thwarted spectacularly by Holmgren, who not only has the awareness to see the the play unfold and intervene, but keep the ball alive and lead the break himself, drawing a foul from Daniels with the Thunder already in the bonus and Holmgren converts the two free throws:

The Hawks come in transition, with Alexander-Walker’s probing drive unable to yield an opportunity at the rim, so he passes to Daniels. Daniels fakes and drives but his pass back to the corner is deflected by Isaiah Hertenstein for another turnover. The Thunder push ahead to Wallace, who finds Gilgeous-Alexander in the mid-range for another basket, leading to a 15 point lead and a Hawks timeout:

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The Thunder were so methodical off of turnovers — they didn’t tend to rush and push it in transition hard and charge to the rim though that did happen on this possession where Ajay Mitchell comes up with the steal — pushing ahead to finish at the rim to punish another Atlanta turnover:

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The Hawks did a better job holding onto the ball in the third from this point forward, though there was one more turnover which led to another OKC basket, as Gilgeous-Alexander pokes the ball away from Luke Kennard before finding Mitchell in the corner for a three:

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The Hawks didn’t shoot poorly in this third quarter, shooting 53% from the field and 5-of-8 from three, but they gave up a lot of possessions and points to the Thunder, who blew the game beyond the Hawks.

Another issue the Hawks had in this game was keeping OKC off the offensive glass and second chance opportunities. While the Thunder grabbed 15 offensive rebounds, they were extremely efficient in converting these second chance opportunities, scoring 30 points. Contrast that with the Hawks, who also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds but could only manage nine second chance points — OKC’s size and length was too much for the Hawks all night long.

Wallace makes up for his own missed shot as he grabs the offensive rebound and finds Mitchell, who drives and (I promise) scores at the rim on the drive:

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A missed three as the shotclock is about to expire from Jaylin Williams is collected by Aaron Wiggins and scored in amidst the crowd:

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This was one of those possessions — and there were so many of these — where the Hawks almost come up with the steal. Daniels in particular knocked so many balls loose but the Thunder were able to recover them. On another night Daniels has maybe six steals. Poor from Okongwu here, ball-watching the shot going up and allows Wiggins to get in ahead for the offensive rebound.

Holmgren, as you can probably imagine, was a thorn in the Hawks’ side on the glass, steering home this miss from Wallace at the rim:

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Similarly, his front-court running mate Hartenstein was able to tip in a couple of offensive rebounds himself, such as this one off the Wiggins miss:

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Off of a well-contested Gilgeous-Alexander shot/miss, Dort collects the rebound and finds a cutting Holmgren, who is fouled at the rim by Okongwu, and would dispatch both free throws:

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Off of a wild shot inside by Mitchell, Wiggins does a great job of hustling in front of Kennard to get to the loose ball and whips it back out to Williams, who drains the three:

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With the game long gone in the fourth quarter, down 20 points, the rebounding concerns continued, as first Holmgren steers home a Hartenstein miss:

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Before Hartenstein notches home a miss from Holmgren:

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Difficult to win games conceding 30 second chance points on a night where the Hawks’ frontcourt is depleted. Throw in the turnovers — and OKC’s efficiency off turnovers — in that third quarter and the end result isn’t too much of a surprise. The fourth quarter was a slow affair, with both teams slowing down offensively, but by this stage the damage was done and the Hawks couldn’t find the same heroics from Orlando, and were consigned to their second home defeat of the season.

Speaking postgame, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder focused on the Hawks’ turnovers in the third quarter that saw the Thunder’s lead quickly increase back to double-digits, citing both the Thunder’s — and Holmgren’s unique ability to intercept plays — as well as mistakes from the Hawks.

“The third quarter, I don’t know how many of the first six of the first eight, four of the first five, possessions we turned over,” said Snyder postgame. “All of a sudden a four point (Thunder) lead jumps and now you’re looking at a double-digit lead again. Your margin for error, given some of the guys being our and, more importantly, playing a team of that calibre — Shae didn’t miss much, Holmgren came out making threes, I thought we adjusted to some of that. There’s a lot of things you have to overcome and you can’t be yourself. It wasn’t just one guy, everyone got into it — some of them were unfrorced, some of them were good passes. The one Trae tried to throw the lob, there’s not too many people in the league who make that play other than Chet Holmgren. But there were others where we handed them the ball, and when we do that we’re not going to be able to score.”

The Hawks’ offense just struggled to find the scoring output it needed to live with the efforts of Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander. It was Alexander-Walker who led the Hawks’ scoring effort with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and — encouragingly — a much improved outing from three: 3-of-6 from downtown following his 1-of-10 display in Orlando. This type of output from Alexander-Walker — in addition to another two steals and a block — you can’t ask much more out of him. It’s the consistent players already on the squad who you expect more from.

Dyson Daniels has had a slow start to the season offensively, scoring eight points on 2-of-6 shooting from the field. While I think there’s some room for concern, I’m not going to react too strongly to difficult nights shooting the ball against this OKC side — that includes Trae Young.

Young scored 15 points on 5-of-12 from the field, 2-of-3 from three, and while he did have 10 assists on the night it also came with five turnovers. Young has, in seasons past, had some slow starts and two difficult defensive coverages in Orlando and OKC I think exacerbate those issues somewhat.

Elsewhere, Okongwu was drawn into shooting five three-pointers last night — a shot OKC were more than happy to live with — and Okongwu only converted one of those five attempts. The sample size is of course very small, but 30% on 3.3 attempts — off the back of an encouraging end to last season shooting the three — wouldn’t have been the start Okongwu was hoping for from three, but it’s a very small sample and early days. OKC were just happy to let him have those shots last night. On the plus for Okongwu, monster dunk to begin this game.

With no Porzingis or Jalen Johnson last night it meant more minutes for both Gueye and Asa Newell than they would ordinarily have seen.

Just like the Orlando game, Gueye was solid in his 23 minutes of action, scoring 11 points on 4-of-10 from the field and 2-of-6 from three (which is absolutely fine for Gueye). Gueye’s production right now I think is all relative — it’s a huge win for the Hawks that he’s playable at this stage of the season, because it would have been completely inconceivable at this point last year, and it speaks to his development. He had a couple of rough shots, but given that backline of Hartenstein and Holmgren I wouldn’t hold that against him too much.

Newell saw a lot more time on the court last night, playing just under 25 minutes and, similar to the Orlando game, was productive in his time on the floor scoring 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from three to go with 10 rebounds (seven of them being offensive rebounds) — his first double-double of his young NBA career.

Newell is taking — and hitting — his threes with a lot of confidence, such as this three on the catch in the first quarter as Wiggins closes out:

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This next three in the second half was probably his most impressive last night; converting a straightaway three in the corner despite the contest:

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“I think he’s worked at that, and guys find him” said Snyder of Newell’s three-point shooting. “That corner three for a player coming out of college that hasn’t taken a lot of threes, that’s a good place to begin to build your confidence. His instincts for the ball are really good. They (OKC) are big, and if you have to double SGA or trap in pick-and-roll, you’re in rotations and it makes it harder to rebound. Our ability to come up with some of those loose balls, like the turnovers, those things are impactful. I thought Asa did a good job for us not just making shots but his nose for the ball.”

Newell gave credit to his coaching staff, teammates, and his own preparation for his early success behind the arc, as well as highlighting the spacing difference between the NBA and college.

“It’s just my preparedness,” said Newell of shooting threes. “I’m in the gym every single day. It means a lot that the coaching staff has belief in me, and my teammates as well. In college, it’s just a different offense. In the college game, the floor is more shrunken and in the NBA there’s more space.”

On the glass, Newell was able to make a couple of plays happen, one for himself as he fights for the rebound against Holmgren and knocks the ball loose, resulting in an easy dunk off of his own making:

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Off of a missed three from Kennard in the corner, Newell grabs the offensive rebound and finds a relocating Kennard, who doesn’t miss the second and hits the three:

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“Asa is just being himself right now, playing with a lot of confidence and understanding he’s going to get open looks when he’s out there so just take them with confidence,” said Young of Newell. “He’s been doing it, and rebounding which he’s always been able to do. Those two things can get him on the floor and make an impact for us.”

Outside of Newell, there wasn’t a ton of positives for the Hawks last night. While a second successive home loss to start the season is disappointing, bearing in mind it was the second night of a back-to-back having been on the road the night before, in addition to being down three starters and against the defending champions I think probably should be taken into account before the pitchforks come out.

Players will return, the offense will improve, individuals like Daniels and Young will find better offensive rhythms because what they’re currently averaging just isn’t sustainable.

For now, the Hawks rest and regroup, and then head off to Chicago for a matchup against the Bulls (2-0) at the United Center. That game marks the first of a four-game roadtrip for the Hawks, which will take them into November.

Until next time!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...olmgren-quotes-notes-video-analysis-breakdown

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks notch first victory of regular season in comeback effort vs. Magic

The Atlanta Hawks secured their first win of the 2025-26 regular season with a comeback victory against the Orlando Magic on Friday night at the Kia Center, 111-107. Trae Young led the Hawks with 25 points, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 19 points. For the Magic, Franz Wagner scored a game-high 27 points with Desmond Bane adding 15 points.

Heading into last night’s contest, the Hawks were forced to make two changes to the starting lineup as Kristaps Porzingis (flu-like symptoms) and Zaccharie Risacher (right-ankle sprain) were ruled out prior to the game.

In their place Onyeka Okongwu stepped back into a familiar role as started at center, while Alexander-Walker stepped into the starting lineup. Immediately, this speaks to the Hawks’ depth that they can slot in two starting-caliber players off the bench.

Affairs were physical, with both sides getting into respective bodies; this was something that was attempted to be snuffed out by the refs, who played the whistle tightly throughout the contest. That didn’t stop the two division rivals going at each other or barking at each other — it was chippy throughout.

The basketball itself was slow at times, but it was the Hawks who ended the first quarter with a narrow margin, despite foul trouble for both Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. It was in the second quarter where the Hawks’ offense really bogged down, and the Magic were able to put a double-digit distance between the two sides. The Hawks would spend most of the game chasing this lead, and it wasn’t until the back end of the third quarter when the Hawks really dug into this Orlando advantage.

Alexander-Walker deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Hawks hanging around in the third quarter, scoring 10 points in the third alone and just keeping the Hawks within that 10-12 point range. Alexander-Walker, while he very much struggled shooting the three (1-of-10), was excellent at getting into the paint and scoring around the rim, such as this play as he cuts the Orlando lead to nine points:

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The Hawks’ run in the third would start just after this play — and after the Magic went back up by 11 points — as Mo Gueye proved important in this stretch, first hitting the three in the corner:

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And then to follow-home an offensive rebound after Goga Bitazde blocks Luke Kennard at the rim:

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Another basket by Young would cut the Magic lead to just four points, but between conceding a three-pointer (and the foul underneath the basket, leading to a four-point play) and a slow start to the fourth quarter saw the Hawks quickly back down by 11 points in the fourth quarter (93-81) with over nine minutes remaining.

It’s from this point forward where the Hawks flip the game on its head, proceeding to reel off a 15-0 run which would take the lead. It begins with a Keaton Wallace three-pointer and is added to by a drive by Kennard, which takes the Magic lead down to seven points. After Dyson Daniels and Young return to the game, as well as the introduction of Asa Newell, the Hawks continued to rally.

Young gets downhill and finds Newell in the corner, who hits the three-pointer and, with it, his first NBA points:

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Daniels continues the Hawks’ run as he drives, spins, and hooks the shot over Wendell Carter Jr.:

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The Magic missed a number of poor shots in this stretch, but this next play is fuelled by Daniels’ reach-around on Wagner for the steal, and ends with Daniels finding Young, who throws a beautiful alley-oop for Newell to tie the game:

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Great patience there by Young to wait for Newell’s run, and then finds him with the oop. Great for Newell as well to be rewarded for his run down the floor and a great confidence boost for him coming off of that three just a moment prior.

After an Orlando timeout, the Magic miss on a three by Bane, and Young operates behind the screen and hits the deep three to complete the turnaround — a 15-0 run to turn a double-digit deficit into a lead in the fourth quarter:

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The Hawks would build a five-point lead with 2:56 remaining behind two Jalen Johnson free throws; a lead that was erased by a Paulo Banchero three and two Carter Jr. free throws, tying the game at 105 with 54 seconds remaining.

The Hawks would take a timeout after these free throws, needing to come through in the clutch to emerge with a win in what, up to this point, had been a chippy and physical affair. The Hawks got exactly that as Young comes through as he gets separation from the persistent Jalen Suggs, and Young gets to the free throw line and hits the floater:

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The Magic would make a quick reply, with Suggs driving by Young to score at the rim, around the contest of Okongwu:

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A bit easy for Suggs at this time of the game. I thought Young had some good defensive moments in this game, but this was not one of them.

Young makes up for this possession as he draws the foul and free throws on a switch from Carter Jr., sending Young to the line where he hits both free throws to give the Hawks a 109-107 lead with 21 seconds remaining:

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The Magic take a timeout, their last of the game, and have the choice to either take the best shot available to them — at the risk of leaving time on the clock for the Hawks — or take the last shot of the game and, at worst, go to overtime. The Magic chose neither of these things.

Daniels does a great job containing Bane, who has to deliver a messy pass to Banchero. Banchero, guarded by Gueye, must have believed he had a great chance to score with Gueye on him, and launches a three-pointer over him but misses, and the Hawks secure the timeout as Alexander-Walker and Gueye hit the floor:

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A good defensive job by the Hawks here, but the overriding sentiment from this last play is what a horrid decision by Banchero. Not only was it an extremely opportunistic shot, but with the shot clock off and the amount of time remaining…

It’s just a terrible decision, no matter how confident he felt hitting that shot over Gueye. Following the timeout, the Hawks hit both free throws with Young and seal a fantastic road win to wash away some of the bad taste from the season-opener on Wednesday.

“Although the result in the first game wasn’t what we wanted, we got back and regrouped and you could tell the focus was there,” said Trae Young. “We got back to doing what we were preparing for all training camp and all summer. Even tonight, it’s just one game. We did what we needed to do, we beat a really good team tonight, we’ve got another one tomorrow. Just have to continue to take it day-by-day and one game at a time.”

Hawks head coach Quin Snyder was unhappy with the transition defense on Wednesday, and while conceding a few similar opportunities early in this game, Snyder was pleased with the job the Hawks did as the game progressed, as well as being pleased with the Hawks’ rebounding.

“As the game went on we did a much better job of not giving up easy baskets, and we rebounded really well as well,” said Snyder.

Asked about the third quarter run, the names that Snyder mentioned relating to that run weren’t the usual suspects; your Trae Young’s, Jalen Johnson’s etc. It was Asa Newell, Mo Gueye, Keaton Wallace, and Vit Krejci, who were on the floor at the time when the Hawks began their rally, before Young, Daniels, and Newell checked into the game to continue the run.

“Asa, Mo, Keaton, Vit those guys they put time in,” said Snyder. “Our coaching staff does a great job of teaching, and they’re competing too. They compete, that’s the biggest thing. Asa didn’t think, that’s a shot he’s been preparing to take for a while, he took it. Same thing with Mo. It’s telling that they both got their shots because it shows their teammates had confidence in them as well, and that gives you confidence.”

Newell only played three minutes and was a plus-9 in those three minutes, and while his role is naturally limited at this early stage in his career this mini-stint will be an encouragement to Newell.

As Snyder referenced, the confidence to shoot the ball with the one opportunity he got to shoot three is what you want to see, and running with a guard like Young is always bound to be rewarded. Young encouraged Newell to stay ready and praised his rookie teammate for his contribution last night.

“He didn’t have too good of a preseason but I told him to stay with it, stay focused, stay locked in, and when his number’s called we’re going to need him,” said Young of Newell.

“Tonight, he made two big plays; running down and got a dunk, and that was a big three he hit. A lot of people may think that’s an easy shot but sitting on the bench that long, not knowing if you’re even going to get in the game, that’s not easy. You’ve got to give the rook a lot of props.”

Mo Gueye saw more minutes in this spot, too, with Porzingis ruled out prior to the game. That, in addition to foul trouble for Onyeka Okongwu, saw big minutes for Gueye: 29 in total. Gueye scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, 2-of-5 from three to go with six rebounds and three assists.

There were times last season where the idea of playing Gueye 29 minutes would just not have been feasible for the Hawks, but it’s a great credit to Gueye’s development that he was solid in that large playing time — a few bad turnovers here and there and some shots missed, but he was a positive overall in this game especially in that third quarter.

Like Newell, Gueye knows he just has to stay ready.

“Really just understanding my job, my role in the team” said Gueye postgame. “I know we got ‘KP’, an All-Star, NBA champion. Just be ready, today he was down, hopefully we get him tomorrow. Just be ready and know my role.”

Looking at other individual performances, it’s a tough spot for anyone to have an explosive night. The Magic are a great defensive team and their size and length makes life difficult, and so it proved to be the case. Jalen Johnson and Okongwu were limited by foul trouble but still contributed 12 points and 17 points respectively, in addition to their defensive contributions (Snyder was particularly praiseful of Johnson’s defense, especially in the fourth quarter with five fouls).

Dyson Daniels had a good start to the game but faded a little more offensively as the game went on, scoring six points on 3-of-7 shooting. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, as mentioned earlier, could not hit a three to save his life, but did save the Hawks’ life in this game with his ability to get toward the rim and score inside; especially in the third quarter.

Trae Young led all Hawks scorers with 25 points on an inefficient 7-of-18 from the field and 1-of-7 from three. However, as seen throughout Young’s career, he can contribute to his team even on poor shooting nights and this was no exception.

While Young’s six assists is below his normal standard, he shot 10-of-12 at the free throw line, including the clutch free throws at the end of the game, and several go-ahead baskets when the Hawks rallied.

Snyder was impressed with Young’s poise, especially in the face of the defensive challenge that Jalen Suggs brings to the equation — again, a very physical affair between the two guards; these two really get after each other.

“This is a game where he’s pressured the whole game,” said Snyder of Young. “I thought he kept his composure throughout the course of game. He was running in transition. I thought there were times we could’ve thrown ahead to him; he’s committed to that. That last six minutes, he’s in a position where that’s time for him to assert himself. I love that he drove the ball too; a guy in the lane, he hit a floater, got a foul. He managed the game as well as I’ve seen him manage a game late, just directing people where to go and our guys were listening to him. They were trying to get certain matchups, changing matchups. The poise that Trae showed in addition to his production, I think you saw that because of his poise. Suggs is one of the best defenders in the league, Trae got off the ball and used himself as a screener. So that recognition, to me, is really important.”

For the game as a whole, the Hawks did a great job in the second half limiting the Magic to just two three-pointers; an area of the game the Magic had separated themselves from the Hawks in the first half: shooting 7-of-16 in the first half compared to the Hawks’ 2-of-14 from three. The second half saw a reversal: 6-of-15 for the Hawks compared to 2-of-15 for the Magic.

The Hawks also did a great job limiting Paulo Banchero, who scored just 4-of-15 from the field. Johnson did a great job in this regard, but it’s really helpful for the Hawks that they can throw multiple defensive bodies at Banchero and this was huge in the greater context of securing this victory for the Hawks as Franz Wagner was able to have a very efficient scoring night, scoring 27 points on 10-of-17 from the field.

All in all, this was a great response for the Hawks. This was a physical, chippy affair, and there’s definitely some animosity between these two teams. Not only did the Hawks suffer a loss in the play-in against the Magic, but both teams here are expected to take big leaps in a weakened Eastern Conference this season.

Both teams played as though they wanted to show that they wanted that spotlight; this game felt like a battle, it felt personal. And it’s only going to get more personal as the season goes on, playing each other three more times this season. If last night’s game was anything to go by, these two sides will provide great entertainment this season.

For last night at least, a great Hawks comeback and execution to end the game; a good note to start in clutch situations led by Trae Young.

Next up for the Hawks (1-1) is a home tilt against the Oklahoma City Thunder (2-0) at State Farm Arena. The Thunder are carrying some early injuries and have played, already, in two double overtime games to start the season. There’s, usually, never a great time to play the defending champions this early in the season, but if there was…

Until next time!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...ae-young-analysis-nba-opinion-video-breakdown

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks at Magic: start time, TV, streaming, radio, game thread

The Hawks truly begin their 81-game schedule tonight in Orlando in a big division matchup.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen​

Location: Kia Center, Orlando, FL

Start Time: 7:00 EST PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...gic-start-time-tv-streaming-radio-game-thread