Atlanta Hawks: 4 Observations from Heat Game

The Atlanta Hawks suffered their first defeat of the 2015 preseason on Sunday to the Miami Heat by a final score of 101-92.

The Atlanta Hawks began the game with the same starting five that they have went with for most the preseason with Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Kent Bazemore, Paul Millsap and Al Horford. After resting on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks, Jeff Teague, Kent Bazemore and Paul Millsap along with Korver and Horford all played over 20 minutes on Sunday, but were held out of the 4th quarter in this defeat.Mike Scott had his best game of preseason thus far, recording 19 points on 9-13 shooting in 25 minutes for the Atlanta Hawks.

The Miami Heat, thought as a contender in the Southeast Division this season, played their reserves extensively in this contest, even though Erik Spoelstra used his starters to begin the game. James Ennis led the Heat and all players with 24 points on Sunday on 8-13 shooting. After taking an 8 point lead into half-time, the Heat reserves eliminated the 8 point deficit against a Hawks lineup composed of reserves and starters, and ultimately controlled the tempo and momentum in the second half.

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Of course, a preseason loss is meaningless in terms of the regular season schedule. This loss did evidence some flaws on the Atlanta Hawks, especially when discussing the play of the reserves. Here are some takeaways from Sunday’s game.

1. Tim Hardaway Jr. Continues to Struggle on Offense: Tim Hardaway Jr. has had a tenuous start to his Atlanta Hawks’ career on offense. He has struggled to adjust to the Hawks’ offensive system, and has had difficulty with his shot. This was no different on Sunday’s game, as Hardaway scored 7 points on 2-8 shooting in 22 minutes. The Atlanta Hawks’ will utilize Hardaway heavily off the bench this season, and will require patience while he continues to adapt to his new team.

2. Mike Scott Shines: Mike Scott led the Atlanta Hawks in scoring on Sunday, and looks as if he is regaining his offensive prowess after struggling in the postseason last year. On team that requires its bench to maintain production while its starters are resting, Mike Scott’s offense is key to the Atlanta Hawks’ success.

3. Lamar Patterson Will Win the Final Roster Spot: On Sunday, Lamar Patterson was the only non-roster invitee to receive playing time. Patterson played 18 minutes against Heat, and though he only score 2 points, it’s clear that Head Coach Mike Budenholzer sees Patterson as the best option for the 15th roster spot.

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4. Bud Continues to Rest Players: Dennis Schroder, Tiago Splitter and Justin Holiday all received DNP-CD’s on Sunday against the Heat after starting on Friday against Dallas. Splitter, Schroder and Holiday are key bench components on this Atlanta Hawks squad; but I found it interesting that Justin Holiday rested on Sunday. He’s still a bit of an unknown on the Atlanta Hawks after signing a multi-year deal this past summer, and could have benefited from extended playing time on Sunday with the rest of the Hawks’ reserves.

The Atlanta Hawks continue their preseason slate of games on Wednesday as they host Marc Gasol and the Memphis Grizzlies.

Next: Atlanta Hawks Miami Heat in Preseason Contest

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