The Atlanta Hawks opened the preseason with a close-fought loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday evening and the team is back in action tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In an interesting twist, the defending Eastern Conference champions have not yet taken the floor for an exhibition game and that lends genuine intrigue to the proceedings even outside Atlanta.
For the most part, the preseason opener served as something of a regular season preview, with the first half showcasing only players expected to make Atlanta’s roster. Still, it will be interesting to see how the Hawks look against the class of the Eastern Conference, even with the caveat that LeBron James will not be in action as a result of an ankle tweak.