Atlanta Hawks: 7 Takeaways from Stunning 111-104 Win Over Dallas Mavericks

Return of Dewayne Dedmon

One of the contributing factors to the Hawks winning this tilt was the return of big man Dewayne Dedmon after missing the Atlanta Hawks’ first 3 games of the season. Dedmon didn’t have his best statistical game, but his presence had been sorely felt around the rim, where Alex Len, Omari Spellman and Vince Carter cannot really deter drivers and big bodies with their size and length. Dedmon is a strong, hard-nosed defender with long arms and good height, and he knows exactly how to throw his body around to affect shots around the basket. Though he only played 14 minutes and scored only 3 points, Dedmon was a +8 BPM in that time – fully underscoring the impact his defense, energy and leadership had on this young team’s comeback attempt.

Rookie Showdown

Of course, the major storyline of this game was the vaunted and well-documented Battle of the Rookies: Trae Young vs. Luka Doncic. Both players ended up with well-rounded stat lines, but it’s the impact that their scoring had that drew the most attention from this writer. Doncic finished with 21 points on 7 of 18 shooting with 9 rebounds and 2 assists. Ice Trae finished with 17 points on 3 of 12 shooting with 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 10 free throws made. Doncic came out swinging in the 1st and 3rd quarter, doing most of his scoring in those frames. Trae Young, on the other hand, was frigid for much of the game – until it came down to winning time. Also, it seems like the two genuinely like each other as this mid-court hug and handshake suggests: