Atlanta Hawks roll out new, young faces in preseason opener

No shortage of 3-point shooters

Of the 14 Atlanta Hawks players to step on the court against the Pelicans, 13 of them attempted at least one 3-pointer. Ten of those players made at least one 3-point field goal.

It doesn’t mean that we will see that on a nightly basis, but it does mean anyone from Vince Carter to Jabari Parker and even Damian Jones and Alex Len could pop out for a 3-pointer from time to time.

It also means that while Cam Reddish and De’Andre Hunter will be the main guys (they combined to go 5-for-8 from beyond the arc), there are plenty of options for coach Lloyd Pierce to spread out shooters along the perimeter.

Big men Len and John Collins combined to hit 3-of-7 of their 3-pointers and even two-way player Charlie Brown Jr. made one to go with his 14 points on the night.

This in turn should take pressure off of Trae Young. While he has Stephen Curry-like range, he should be able to find the open perimeter shooter if defenses collapse around him and not force his shot. Surrounding him with the right players could accelerate Young’s growth as the next great point guard in the NBA.