Now that we have seen the Atlanta Hawks in action for the first time this pre-season there are a lot of things that need to be discussed. The main one is that Dejounte Murray looks like he is going to fit in nicely with this team based on what we all saw in the first preseason match against the Milwaukee Bucks.
While both teams were missing a key piece or two, it was an entertaining game. The superstar backcourt of the Hawks seemed to work well together but there was another player who put his hand up for rotation minutes during the game.
Aaron Holiday played an incredible game off the bench for his first outing with his new franchise. The youngest Holiday had 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. He also made the only two free throws that he attempted.
If was not just Aaron Holiday’s offense that impressed the Atlanta Hawks
In his 26 minutes, Holiday also had two rebounds, two assists, and a steal. His assist numbers would have been higher but for the shots that some of his teammates missed. However, this is where looking at the box score does not show the impact that a player has on the game.
The youngest Holiday showed that he is a tenacious defender who seemed to fit in well alongside Dejounte Murray. The two shared the play-making duties when they were on the court together and Holiday seemed to be able to breeze past his defender with a quick first step. If you have not seen the alley-oop he threw to John Collins, see below for your viewing pleasure
AIR JC pic.twitter.com/crX9sysxFo
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 6, 2022
However, it was not just Aaron Holiday who was impressive for the Hawks in their first preseason game. Justin Holiday showed that he is on the same page as the rest of the team when it comes to the defensive end of the court.
He could have been better from beyond the arc where he only went 2-of-6 but he was able to get open looks which he should knock down as the season progresses. As we asked during the offseason, what is better than one Holiday? That would be two Holidays.