Atlanta Hawks: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 season opener

A promising, young Atlanta Hawks team took the court for their 2018-19 season opener Wednesday night. The final score was lopsided, but doesn’t tell the whole story. Here are three takeaways from their first game.

The Atlanta Hawks opened up their 2018-19 season Wednesday night against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, ultimately losing the game, 126-107.

The game was tight through the end of the first quarter, but things started to fall New York’s way in the second period. New York outscored Atlanta 49-25 in the quarter, making a comeback almost impossible despite the Hawks winning three out of the four quarters overall.

The offense showed flashes of what it can be and was reasonably effective in putting up 107 points. Taurean Waller-Prince led the way with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Trae Young and Kent Bazemore chipped in 14 points each.

The defense is where the majority of the issues lied. Atlanta let key players for New York like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Enes Kanter get going and they were supported by rookie Alonzo Trier, who surprised everyone coming off the bench to score 15 points in 26 minutes.

There is a lot to like about these young Hawks, but it will certainly take time to put all of the pieces together. Here are three key takeaways from the 2018-19 season opener in New York.