Instant Takeaways From Atlanta's Preseason Loss Against Houston

1. Zaccharie Risacher puts on a promising performance

While there was some hype surrounding Risacher during EuroBasket play this offseason, we are finally seeing on the national stage the work he has put in to grow his game. He has continued to show consistent promise. In the last two preseason games, Risacher has been very efficient on offense and on defense, being active both on the perimeter and inside the paint. Tonight, he finished with two steals and one block. Offensively, Risacher finished with 24 points and three assists, shooting 50/100/50% in 24 minutes of play. This shows he is becoming more comfortable in the Hawks' system and playing more freely due to the increased talent on the roster, allowing him to get to his spots and score with ease.

2. Trae Young struggles continue

In the last game that Young played, he struggled mightily, finishing with 11 points on 18% shooting from the field, 0/8 from three-point range, and four turnovers as Memphis was without its starters. In tonight's game, however, the struggles continued for Young as he scored 12 points and dished out 10 assists, on 28% shooting from the field and 33% from three-point range, and turned the ball over four times again, even without Houston playing their starters. While this is the preseason, it still raises some concern, as we've seen this pattern with Young over the last three seasons. Efficiency has now played a role in team success and in his potential for a contract extension in Atlanta.

3. Kristaps Porzingis puts up a strong performance

Porzingis is one of the more active watching points for this Hawks team moving forward, as he was traded to Atlanta to be the team's second option in terms of offense, and tonight, he showed that he can be just that as he finished with his first double-double as a Hawk with 23 points and 13 rebounds. The Hawks took advantage of Houston's lack of size in the paint and consistently dumped the ball off to Porzingis inside to convert easy looks at the basket. Not only inside, but Porzingis spaced the floor some as he made a three-pointer from deep early in the game, showing some of what the Hawks have brought him in to do this season.

4. Hawks defense still suspect

Since the preseason started, the Hawks have struggled defensively, which is a concern because they have faced similar issues against many other teams in past seasons. Teams have had backups playing instead of starting players, and they are still struggling to stop them. In the offseason, Atlanta had addressed many of their defensive issues from years past by acquiring more solid defenders. However, for some odd reason, this continues to be an issue, as they've given up more than 120 points per game on two occasions. While this is a fixable issue, the Hawks will need to resolve it once the season starts, or they will likely find themselves in the same position as before.

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