It wasn't the smoothest game for the Atlanta Hawks, but they pulled off a 132-125 win over the Orlando Magic to start the season. Hawks fans were able to see the starting lineup in full effect and got a good sense of how the bench rotations were going to play out.
There were some obvious negatives during the game, which included blowing a double-digit lead.
There are obvious takeaways from game one of 82, but what's more fun is overreacting to what happened on the court. No simple takes here, only blowing things out of proportion from 48 minutes of game action.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is more important to the Hawks than Jalen Johnson
A quick look at the box score will tell you that Johnson was the more effective all-around player in the game, which he is for the Hawks. The sixth-year forward had 20 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists in 28 minutes. Alexander-Walker outscored him, but had just four rebounds and three assists. It isn't just the scoring that is going to make NAW more important, though.
Alexander-Walker played well when it mattered most, in clutch time. NAW was able to keep himself out of foul trouble, something Johnson could not do, and it seriously affected his ability to be on the floor. Not being in foul trouble meant he could play the entire fourth quarter, where he had 11 of his 31 points, including two incredibly clutch threes.
With less than two minutes to go, with Atlanta leading by one, NAW nailed two contested threes on back-to-back possessions. They were separated by an Orlando two-pointer, but on his own, he extended the Hawks' lead to five with under a minute to play.
His ability to be a top-tier scorer in the clutch is what is going to win the Hawks games this season. Without him on the court, the Hawks probably would have lost that game.
Lack of size will keep the Hawks from the playoffs this season
Going into the season, everyone knew the Hawks lacked size in the frontcourt. It was no different than last season, though, and they were successful. Last night was the true indicator that a lack of size will be Atlanta's ultimate demise if they can't fix it.
The Hawks have an undersized starting five, but it's offset by athleticism and excellent ball movement and off-ball movement.
The Magic weren't able to stop it, but they gave opponents the key to beating the Hawks. Paolo Banchero attacked Johnson all night and got Johnson to foul him four times. By the end of the third quarter, Johnson had four fouls. Johnson was +8 in a seven-point victory; that means the Hawks were outscored with him off the court.
It wasn't just Banchero, though. Goga Bitadze went to the free-throw line three times in the game. Wendell Carter Jr., who is listed at 6'10'', 270 lbs, was a perfect 7-for-7 from inside the three-point line, and only one of those was from outside the paint. Tristan Da Silva, a 6'8'' wing, was shooting all over the Hawks in the first half. Orlando was 21-for-27 inside the restricted area.
Teams with size are going to give the Hawks fits this season. Atlanta will need to find an answer to big men playing bully ball against them so that they aren't constantly in foul trouble and can protect the rim.
Atlanta has the best wing defense in the NBA
The final score may not show it, but the Hawks' improved defense was on full display last night. Dyson Daniels, Alexander-Walker, Lu Dort, and Aaron Wiggins were all over the passing lanes and opposing ball handlers. The Hawks had 20 deflections in the game, with the only two players without at least one being the two centers.
The confidence in the players around him imbued Daniels to jump the passing lanes with more ferocity, racking up five steals. Even with their deficiencies in the paint, the defense they were able to play on the wings was top-tier.
Atlanta was able to hold the Magic to 32.5% from three on 40 attempts, and an 18.3 turnover rate. They did that to an Orlando team that has multiple star players and a very solid rotation. After one game, the wing defense looked legit, and even though the final score says otherwise, their defense was incredible.
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