National Basketball Association

Atlanta Defeats Memphis 104-83 In Preseason Opener

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Atlanta Hawks defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 104-83. Dwight Howard scores six points and nabs seven rebounds in his Atlanta Hawks debut.

At last, the hypothetical articles and analysis we’ve pummeled you all with will now stop. At least, for the most part. Any-who, our Atlanta Hawks faced off against the Memphis Grizzlies Thursday night and scored a victory with a 104-83 outcome. The primary starters each played between 17-20 minutes, which gave those fighting for a roster spot more opportunity. Dennis Schroder, the newly christened starting point guard, finished with nine points on 3-7 shooting. Kent Bazemore finished the night with seven points on 2-8 shooting. Of course, they all will get a pass because this is their first organized game in just under six months.

Lastly, Dwight Howard made his presence known on his first basket. He finished with six points and seven rebounds and you can watch his first basket, here.

Either way, although offensively lackluster via the starters, holding a team to 83 points is impressive. Yes, we all are aware it’s only preseason, but it’s still a strong statement for the team in general. They still obviously have a lot of kinks to iron out, but this performance, again, is a start. There are a lot of people who have their eyes on the Hawks this season and expect them to become average as normal. With their all-around defensive performance tonight, they definitely don’t fit the billing for average. They allowed the Grizzlies to only shoot 37 percent from the floor while also holding the Grizzlies to 4-24 (16.7 percent) from three. But, a stronger showing from the starters will mean more to a team that shoots 48% from the floor in a game.

But once again, this is only preseason. It’s just good that we as writers and fans have something to actually critique. Howard shot three for seven from the floor. We obviously can critique that and say he can do better. Schroder shot the same from the floor (42 percent). In Mike Budenholzer’s offense, efficiency is key. But, the Hawks have much to work on before their next match-up Saturday, Oct. 8 against the San Antonio Spurs. This is why preseason exists; to give fans a glimpse of the team and for the coaches to evaluate and adjust. Hopefully by Saturday night, there will be some improvement offensively for the starters.