Photo cred to Hawks Twitter

By: Bryce Sparling (@1788sports, @BryceS89)

The young Atlanta Hawks marched into Dallas and showed the NBA they’re doing anything but tanking. Dallas, the team that dropped 20 3’s on them a week ago and embarrassed the Hawks, never could get and hold a lead against the young Hawks.

Hawks opened the 1st qrt with Dennis, Baze, Prince, Ersan and Dedmon on the floor. It didn’t take long to see who was in control: Shredder. Dennis went 3/7 scoring 6 points inside the perimeter and was a fundamental part of the Hawks early lead. PF’s Ersan and Collins went a combined 3/4 and helped settle the paint in a way that was lacking last year. What popped out to me the most in the 1st was the movement, something that wasn’t there last year. This team was constantly moving, all the time, everywhere. This was a great sign for the rest of the game.

The 2nd qrt saw much of the same. Dennis went 4/9 with a 3pt and really solidified the Hawks lead. Add in solid shooting by Bembry, Belinelli, Babbitt &, yes, Josh Maggete. Despite the shooting by Dennis, the starters didn’t produce much in the 2nd qrt, in fact, at halftime, all 5 starters had a negative +/-. The bench was the key to opening up an 11 point halftime lead.

The 3rd qrt was a complete 180 from the 1st and 2nd. Hawks started to miss & the Mavs started to make. Dennis was off, had a couple of bad turnovers & Dennis Smith Jr showed glimpses of what he could possibly become in the NBA. Smith went 5/6 from the field in the 3rd and brought the Mavs right back into it. The Mavs shot 7/11 from 3pt range in the 3rd to put more pressure on the young Hawks.

Luckily in the 4th, Master Shredder took over again. Driving on 4 different occasions and completely blowing past his defender, Dennis ended up going 5/7 from the field with 4 of those shots being layups. Bazemore and Dedmon also added a pair of FG’s to go along with Schroder’s clinic. Prince sealed the deal with a huge offensive rebound with 13 seconds left, then got a block on the defensive end. Dedmon also added a couple of offensive rebounds in the 4th that were converted into FT’s or easy lay-ups.

There’s a ton of positives to take away from the win. Dennis looked good and at times great. Looked like he’s matured over the off-season and has moved into Paul Millsaps role. Dedmon fits into this system after 1 regular season game way better than Dwight ever hoped to last year. Prince is good, high energy, gritty player. He’s not going to wow you, like Dennis can, but he’s going to get the job done. Collins is the real deal. This kid attacks the basket with no fear and makes all the right moves. The Atlanta FO has put together an amazing squad that work so well together. Will they win the championship? Of course not. Will they compete for the ECF championship? Doubt it. Will they be competitive and fun to watch night in and night out? I’d bet my life on it. Also, 50% off Papa John’s pizza on 10/19 for all metro Atlanta areas.