Quin Snyder Reveals What He is Looking For In The Hawks First Preseason Game

The Hawks play Indiana next week in their first preseason game of the 2024-2025 season

Apr 10, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder reacts during the game against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks are going to be playing their first preseason game next week vs the Indiana Pacers and it will be the first chance to see the new look team in action. Players such as Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, and others are going to be playing their in their first games as members of the Hawks and while it is just one preseason game, it will be interesting to see how the team looks against a team that just made the Eastern Conference Finals.

When asked about what he is hoping to see from his team in that game vs the Pacers next week, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder gave a pretty detailed answer:

"As you said, it's one data point, you know, I think more than anything, you know, I want us to, I want to see us execute on the defensive end with the same focus that we want to execute on the offensive end and really understand, you know, the connectivity between what we do on offense and really understand, you know, the connectivity between what we do on offense and how it impacts our defense. You know, something as simple as a guard drives to the basket and lays the ball in, suddenly we have an unbalanced floor. The other thing, the overlay on that, in my mind, is just our communication. And that's something that I think is a challenge, generally, to get guys to get out of themselves. Part of it is knowing what to say. So I would say that relationship on both sides of the ball and how communication really affects your level."

Daniels is one of the most exciting new players on the Hawks and while his defense is the most noticeable part of his game, Snyder discussed this week what he thinks Daniels can bring to the offense:

"Well I think in addition to his ability to guard the ball and guard off the ball with his size and length, he's got an excellent feel for the game. You know, trying to assign him a position I think is is a mistake because he has a feel for the game, whether he's handling it, passing, cutting. There's a lot of things that he can do. So the versatility is not just defensively, it is offensively as well."

It was not just Snyder saying that though, it was also Daniels himself:

"Yeah, I think playing off guys like Trae, you know, being that kind of secondary playmaker, being able to, you know, play off his gravity, you know, when he's got the ball, a lot of defense is going to be counted to him, so once he gets rid of it, it's being able to make quick decisions, get downhill, and shoot the ball, you know, kind of just, you know, filling the gaps and playing my role. I think, You know, make winning plays as well. You're gonna crush the offensive glass and they're getting offensive rebounds, tipping the ball out, you know, whatever it takes. But playing off a guy like Trae, especially, this is about making quick decisions when he gets rid of it."