Atlanta Hawks: 4 Notable Storylines Following Dominant First Game

Small-Ball Experiment Working Wonders

With Bruno Fernando coming in as Alex Len’s backup, those were the only two “true centers” that the Atlanta Hawks played against the Pistons. Instead, the team opted to go with John Collins at center for a short stint in the third quarter with Jabari Parker playing the four alongside him.

Miraculously, that lineup worked wonders for the team as they busted the Pistons to the tune of a 31-18 advantage in the third in no small part to Parker’s tremendous efforts scoring the basketball to end that quarter. Parker finished with 18 points on an immensely efficient 8 of 11 shooting, most of which were right around the basket – where the Hawks shot 75 percent at the rim, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Ice Trae + JC

Of course, the true highlights came courtesy of likely Eastern Conference All-Star Trae Young and his running mate John Collins. Collins shook off the rust early with a thunderous slam in transition, and he finished with a typical night for him: 18 points and 10 rebounds with 2 steals and 1 assist in 30 minutes played. Collins only committed two fouls as well, which is a step in the right direction for the second-year big man.

Young, for his part, put on a show in the Motor City, finishing a masterful effort with 38 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds, including some absurdly deep threes in the first half:

This will likely be a typical occurrence for Young this season, so get used to it Hawks fans.

The Hawks play next in the team’s home opener on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. EST against the Orlando Magic.