Atlanta Hawks: Preseason Game 4 Takeaways

The Atlanta Hawks remained perfect in preseason play after defeating the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night by a final score of 91-84.

Going into the game, Head Coach Mike Budenholzer had elected to give his starters and primary reserves extensive minutes throughout the first 3 games of the preseason; but on Friday night, Bud rested Kent Bazemore, Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap, giving the back end of the bench and other role players extended playing time. Al Horford led the Hawks in scoring with 16 points on the night. We also got to see former Atlanta Hawks John Jenkins and Zaza Pachulia in the starting lineup for the Mavs.

While the preseason is meaningless in terms of the regular season standings, the Atlanta Hawks are coalescing into a deep and formidable team early on. Here are 4 takeaways from Friday’s game against Dallas.

More from ATL All Day

1. Mike Budenholzer Rests Players: As mentioned before, Mike Budenholzer elected to rest Kent Bazemore, Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap on Friday. This gave Tiago Splitter, Dennis Schroder and Justin Holiday and opportunity to start and receive extended minutes with Kyle Korver and Al Horford. Schroder finished the night with 11 points on 3-9 shooting, while Justin Holiday recorded 6 points in 21 minutes. Kyle Korver has struggled with his outside shot so far in the preseason, and on Friday, was only 1-6 from the field. I’m not too concerned, and believe that Korver will rectify any mechanical issues before the start of the season.

2. Thabo Sefolosha Looks Healthy: Thabo Sefolosha played in his second preseason game on Friday, and continues to look good following his season ending leg injury last April. Sefolosha recorded 9 points in 14 minutes, including 1-1 of beyond the arc. If Sefolosha can continue to play well for the rest of the preseason, I believe he becomes the Atlanta Hawks starting small forward on opening night.

3. The Bench Played Well (for the most part): The back end of the bench played extended minutes on Friday, and for the most part played well. Shelvin Mack finished with 13 points on 6-12 shooting, playing a team high 23 minutes. Walter Tavares once again showed that he is trying to play himself into the rotation, finishing with 8 points on 4-8 shooting, including a team high +16 on the night.

Lamar Patterson, who seems to have the inside track on the 15th and final roster spot, scored 10 points on 3-6 shooting, while also shooting 50 percent from three-point range. Patterson played 21 minutes on Friday, and with Terran Petteway receiving a DNP-CD, Patterson has an excellent shot at making the team. The only sore spot on the bench was the play of Tim Hardaway Jr., who finished with 0 points on 0-8 shooting , but did have a +12. It will take time for Hardaway to adjust, but I’m confident he will find his place on the Atlanta Hawks.

More from Atlanta Hawks

4. Should the Atlanta Hawks Have Re-Signed John Jenkins?: During his 3-year tenure with the Atlanta Hawks, John Jenkins received limited playing time. He struggled with frequent injuries and was stuck at the back end of the bench. Now a member of the Dallas Mavericks, John Jenkins has found a place on a team that benefits from his skill-set. This preseason, John Jenkins has averaged almost 20 points per game and score 16 points for Dallas on Friday on 6-9 shooting. His performance this preseason begs the question, should the Atlanta Hawks have re-signed him?

I always believed that Mike Budenholzer should have utilized John Jenkins more (when he was healthy), but once again, this is the preseason, and it is difficult to get an accurate read on players at this point. Though he may perform well in exhibition contests, Jenkins could find himself relegated to a bench role on Rick Carlisle‘s squad come November. With the struggles of Tim Hardaway thus far, it’s easy to second-guess something like this, but honestly, Jenkins did not have a place on this Atlanta Hawks team, and has found a home in Dallas.

Next: Atlanta Hawks Face Mavericks in Preseason Contest

More from ATL All Day

Home/Atlanta Hawks