Onyeka Okongwu, Trae Young lead Hawks past Nets

The Atlanta Hawks opened their season at State Farm Arena on Wednesday night with a 120-116 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

With all eyes on first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and the new $150 million man Jalen Johnson, it was actually a couple of familiar faces that led the way. Trae Young quickly reminded the world just how special he is, filling up the stat sheet with 30 points, 12 assists, and five rebounds. Every year, he continues to prove he’s one of the best combinations of a bucket-getter and playmaker that the game has ever seen.

But even with those numbers, it was actually Onyeka Okongwu who was the difference-maker off the bench. The fifth-year center out of USC finished the night with 28 points in 28 minutes, going 11-12 from the field with eight boards and three blocks. It was the kind of performance Hawks fans have been anxiously waiting to see out of Okongwu, who is a former sixth overall pick and is still just 23 years old.

Jalen Johnson had a rather quiet night for his standards, but he still recorded his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Risacher would finish with seven points on 2-of-8 from the field, but a guy Hawks fans are going to quickly come to love is Dyson Daniels, who was all over the place in his first game in his new threads. 

The 21-year-0ld guard was the centerpiece of the return the Hawks received from the Pelicans for Dejounte Murray. He was the 8th overall pick in the 2022 draft and has already made a name for himself early in his career because of his tenacity on the defensive end of the floor. That was on full display Wednesday night, as Daniels finished with five steals and a block. But what was a pleasant surprise was Daniels contribution on offense, chipping in 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, including 2-of-4 from behind the arc.

Daniels’ defense alone is going to help the Hawks exponentially, who have been notoriously horrid on that end of the court ever since Trae Young was drafted. Young needs a backcourt running mate that can cover up some of his defensive decencies. The Hawks thought they acquired that when they traded for Dejounte Murray, but Daniels, who is still far from a finished product, may actually end up being the better fit next to Trae Young.

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Photographer: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire