Pacers ready to begin preseason play in Atlanta
The Pacers are officially back, at least in preseason form, as they take on the Hawks on Tuesday night.
The Pacers are on the road in Atlanta on Tuesday night to play their first practice game against another opponent. The Hawk are a great team to kick off preseason play with considering both the history of the team in general and Trae Young in particular to post big scoring nights against the Pacers.
Young scored 38 points in the Pacers’ 157-152 last November which sounded an alarm around the league that offenses were getting out of control and in part lead the league toward allowing more physical play later in the season which is expected to continue this year. So, yeah, the Hawks, even in preseason form, will be a good early test for the Pacers effort to improve their defensive disposition.
The expected level of effort on the defensive end wasn’t on display at the Fieldhouse for Fan Jam on Sunday. I was driving home from a weeding in Raleigh, NC most of the day on Sunday, but thanks to Scott Agness from Fieldhouse Files, I was able to catch up on the scrimmage highlights which catered to entertaining the fans more than Rick Carlisle would like in a real game.
Regardless, the Fan Jam scrimmage seemed to confirm no changes in the starting lineup from the playoff run last May. Assuming all five are healthy throughout the game, I’d expect three 6-8 minute runs for the starters. If Tyrese Haliburton only takes on two of those stints you’ll find no complaints here.
The reserves will be more intriguing with all eyes on Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker. Also, Isaiah Jackson is not expected to play, so James Wiseman will hopefully be able to play with that second group. Wiseman played for half of the Fan Jam game and looked might helpful with his size and ability to find scoring opportunities. The young big is, well, BIG and can help fortify efforts around the rim to GRAB A REBOUND. That effort to chase down misses is a big part of improving the defensive efficiency across the board.
The game will not be broadcast by the Pacers Bally Sports crew, but the Hawks’ broadcast team will be on hand with the game available on NBA TV (and of course, Mark Boyle will be providing the HD visuals with his words on the Pacers radio network). The Hawks will have a little different look with Dejounte Murray now in New Orleans which brough local legend Cody Zeller (and a few others) to Atlanta.
This will also be a chance too see Zaccharie Risacher, the number one overall draft for the Hawks. Risacher is just 19 years old, but the dynamic 6’9 forward out of Spain has major playmaking upside. Will he be ready for a full-time role on an NBA roster? Seems like a stretch for sure, but it will be interesting to see what he has to offer from the get go.
Pacers vs. Hawks Preseason
Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
When: Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBA TV
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers -1.5
Projected Starters
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
Hawks: Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, Clint Capela
Injuries
Pacers: Isaiah Jackson (something) - out, Johnny Furphy (ankle) - out
Hawks: TBD