Three Major Storylines to Watch Tonight As the Hawks Face the Nets

Atlanta Opens its season tonight at home vs the Brooklyn Nets

Oct 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) in action against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Atlanta Hawks Basketball is back.

For the first time since April's loss in the Play-In Tournament, the Atlanta Hawks are back on the court tonight and they will be opening their season against one of the NBA's projected bottom teams, the Brooklyn Nets.

The Hawks are going to be a new look group this season. No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels, and Larry Nance are some of the new players that are expected to make a big contribution for the Hawks this season and they are going to make their official debuts tonight.

So what are the major storylines to watch tonight as the Hawks play the Nets?

1. Zaccharie Risacher's Regular Season Debut

Risacher could end up being one of the most important players in the Eastern Conference this season. Yes he is a rookie who is going to go thorugh ups and downs, but he displayed a lot of skill this preseason and looked ready to be a contributor this season.

The starting small forward spot is going to be a talking point all season. Risacher was fantastic in the preseason, but will Quin Snyder elect to start him this early? It would not surprise me to see De'Andre Hunter in tonight's lineup, but keep an eye on this throughout the season.

In two preseason games, Risacher averaged 16 PPG, 5 RPG, and 1.7 APG on 60% shooting and 44% from three. He had a 129.4 Offensive Rating and was second on the team this preseason amongst qualified Hawks in PER (player efficiency rating) with a 23.2 PER, behind only Jalen Johnson.

I don't think Risacher will start tonight, but it might not be long.

2. How will the Hawks handle the minutes where Trae Young is off the Floor?

With Kobe Bufkin out tonight, the Hawks are going to have to figure out how to manage the minutes when Trae Young is not running the show. Bufkin was expected to be that guy, but he is out. Will it mean minutes for Vit Krejci? Dyson Daniels and Bogdan Bogdanovic are also guys who could lead the offense when Young sits. When Dejounte Murray was traded, this was a huge question and it still is as the regular season gets started.

3. Hawks Defense

You could have watched only a handful of Hawks games last year and known that the Hawks's biggest weakness was on the defensive end. Atlanta's front office made an effort to try and fix that this offseason and we are going to see whether that effort has paid dividends.

Daniels is one of the elite perimeter defenders in the league and could end up being the best acquisition in the Dejounte Murray trade. Risacher brings size, length, and athleticism to the position, De'Andre Hunter is a solid defender, as are Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. The Hawks are a bigger, more athletic team that has versatility. That should result in them being better on defense, just how much is the question?

Additional Links:

Injury Report: Atlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets

Atlanta Hawks Basketball: Three Bold Predictions for the Upcoming Season

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