Three Thoughts From The Atlanta Hawks Preseason Win Against Memphis

1. Trae Young has to improve on dealing with defensive pressure

Young is a relatively undersized player at his position, and this has been plaguing him throughout his career. Usually, Young can deal with some of the top defenders well, but he hasn't reached a point where he is unstoppable offensively. This is part of the reason why he is in the situation he's in with the Hawks organization regarding his contract. He is sometimes inefficient as the team's go-to player when dealing with smaller defenders or double teams, a situation that was prevalent in last night's game. To slow down Young, teams usually throw multiple defenders at him or trap him, similar to what the Miami Heat did in the 2022 playoffs. What made last night concerning was that this happened with Memphis missing most of its starting lineup, and he finished the game with four turnovers and missed all eight of his three-point attempts. For Young and the Hawks to take this next step, he must learn how to deal with this defensive style moving forward, as this will likely be a consistent look that he deals with come postseason, despite the numbers that he puts up.

2. Zaccharie Risacher is showing flashes of potential

During the offseason, Risacher had been making headlines due to his improvements during EuroLeague play, and we finally got to see it on display. To start the game, Risacher made his first two shot attempts from three-point range and finished the game with 16 points, shooting 75/100/66%. This marks a significant improvement for Zach in terms of efficiency. Although this is preseason, it is still good to see him gain more confidence over time. Hopefully, when the season comes, he could be on people's radar to watch, as he was the No. 1 overall draft pick last season. However, at just 20 years old, Risacher will likely be a long-term project before we see him reach his prime years of peak basketball play.

3. Jalen Johnson's breakout season is on the way

In the past few seasons, there has been anticipation that Atlanta has another breakout All-Star on their hands, and that is said to be Jalen Johnson. Johnson's last few seasons have been cut somewhat short due to injuries, and some have worried that it may alter his potential. However, this offseason and preseason, he has shown otherwise, as he's been consistently growing his game. Coming into the preseason, Johnson was often discussed by many in training camp for his continued growth. Now, we can see it, as in his first two preseason games, Johnson has looked like a potential All-Star candidate. Last night, Johnson's efficient 20 points weren't the only topic of discussion. He also had another memorable dunk that was considered frame-worthy and went viral on X, posted by multiple basketball accounts. Johnson's last two games have ended with highlight-worthy plays and highly efficient output, leading to the expectation that if he and the Hawks stay healthy, special times could be on the horizon.

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