Rebuilding Atlanta Hawks drop Detroit on the road; 3 takeaways

Is this the season the Atlanta Hawks go from rebuild to playoff contender? Let’s examine their season opener to see if we get glimpses of a playoff team.

Everyone likes a dark horse and the Atlanta Hawks seem to fit that mold for the 2019-20 NBA season. After a strong second half as a whole unit, the Hawks seem to be a trendy pick to at least challenge for a playoff spot while others were penciling them in at the No. 8 seed in the East before the season began.

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They got their start to the 2019-20 season by playing a team that just squeezed into the playoffs last season, Detroit Pistons, who were already missing Blake Griffin.

Both teams were on fire out of the gate as the first quarter ended with the Hawks up 38-32.

The Hawks cooled off in the second quarter, allowing the Pistons to take a three-point lead into halftime.

The Hawks came out big from halftime, and poured it on during the third quarter, outscoring the Pistons 31-18.

The Atlanta Hawks controlled the game from there, winning their season opener 117-110.

So what did we learn about the new look Hawks in their season opener? Are they capable of a playoff push? They did have one of the largest roster turnovers this past offseason as only six players are left from last year’s roster. Who else will step up to support Young and John Collins? The team’s season opener should shed a little light the team’s outlook for the rest of the season.