Three Biggest Takeaways From Atlanta Hawks Preseason Win vs Indiana

The Hawks won at the buzzer on Tuesday night against the Pacers

Oct 8, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) reacts during the game against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

What a night it was in Atlanta.

While it is just one preseason game, if you are a Hawks fan, you have to like what you have seen so far from this team. There was a lot of unknowns with this squad going into last night, but the young players flashed their talent, while the veterans played well.

So what are the three biggest takeaways from last night's buzzer beating win for the Hawks?

1. Zaccharie Risacher Looked the Part

It is hard to name just three takeaways, but there is little doubt that the top takeaway from last night should be that No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher had a great debut. He scored 18 points on 7-9 shooting and also grabbed three rebounds and dished out two assists. He looked comfortable and like he belonged out there, which is huge for a player in his first NBA action. He received plenty of praise for his performance after the game, including from star point guard Trae Young:

"Yeah, I hate that this was not the first game of the season where it counts for real because that was a hell of a performance and a hell of a start. I wanted him to feel like how he felt tonight like there is no pressure on him, he can go out there and be himself and he played like he did tonight. He shot the ball really well and has a great feel for the game and can make the right reads, obviously, he is going to make some turnovers and make some mistakes, but he is going to have a hell of a career."

Risacher was happy that his debut went well:

"I was super excited for the game. This whole process you know, training camp and everything, that was the start of something great I think, yeah I was super excited and I am glad that it went well."

There are no doubt going to be some ups and downs in his rookie year, but last night showed why the Hawks took Risacher No. 1 back in June.

2. Kobe Bufkin looked capable of leading the offense off the bench

When the Hawks traded Dejounte Murray, a big question facing them was how they were going to run the offense when Trae Young went to the bench. Murray would usually have that task, but he is now in New Orleans. The natural answer was second year guard Kobe Bufkin, but he was injured for much of last season and had not proven he should have that role just yet.

He took a step toward securing that role last night.

Bufkin did a great job of leading the offense when Young was off the floor. He looked confident in his passing ability and was not afraid to shoot it. He had nine points and four assists at the end of the game, but he also held his own defensively. After the game, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder talked about what he thought about Bufkin's performance:

""You know, there was a few possessions You know where we really moved the ball and he was part of Initiating the possession and getting us an advantage and then we kept playing kept playing you know and that that was good to see. I mean, it's, for us, when we have different guys, we can get a critical mass of guys on the floor that are passing the ball and spacing and continuing to play, the probability that everybody does it goes up. And as soon as we get, you know, two, three guys that aren't doing that, it becomes very difficult for the rest of the group to do that. So, when Kobe comes in and he's passing the ball ahead and doing some of those things offensively, you know, he really can't access. And maybe the best thing that I thought he did tonight was he defended, you know, to see him get up and get up to court. That's something that's gonna be, you know, we'll be able to see that some on film tomorrow where we just, we had breakdowns. They put a lot of pressure on you. You have to guard your man in space a lot of times. But the times that you are able to help, you need to be there. You need to be there, and we weren't always there, but I thought Kobe's ball pressure in particular really gave us a lift."

3. Jalen Johnson looks ready to dominate

Jalen Johnson is a popular candidate for the Most Improved Player Award and he showed why last night.

Johnson looked excellent and like he was ready to be the No. 2 option on the team. He displayed excellent chemistry with Young and he looked in control the entire time he played. Johnson finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in only 22 minutes. After taking a massive leap last year, another one could be in store for Johnson.