Aday Mara's passing was the plan in Oklahoma City's Oct. 12 preseason game. Playmaking hasn't been a foundational priority for him, Mark Daigneault said, but Mara earned the chance. Bennett Stirtz said they clicked after a rough first half, including a couple of alley-oops.
Brooks Barnhizer hit a late corner 3 after struggling to shoot in Oklahoma City's Oct. 12 preseason game. Mark Daigneault said he's on a good trajectory, but "it's really not the role he would play, you know, with our full team."
"I think all 9 of us just seized the opportunity," Bennett Stirtz said of Oklahoma City's nine-man preseason roster, many with no G League or NBA experience. He played 37 minutes, hunting 3-pointers late with the paint packed; Mark Daigneault said pressure isn't new for him.
Kingston Flemings is directing the Hawks on the floor, and Quin Snyder said part of the process has been "getting him in situations where he could really defend and have an impact, but not foul." He saw a better on-ball presence and a feel for when to shoot and when to pass.
Jock Landale bled from the lip after a second-quarter play in the Hawks' Oct. 12 preseason game. "My lip's pretty sore right now," he said postgame, but called himself fine. He played past his usual 10 or so preseason minutes and said the extra time helped him find a rhythm.
Lu Dort said a knee contusion kept him "out for a little bit" before his first game with Atlanta. Quin Snyder has held one-on-one film sessions with him to teach the Hawks' terminology and texts him plays to study. Dort said learning it will take time.
Hawks teammate Jock Landale on Kingston Flemings: "Kingston is really like having a lot thrown at him right now because he's got a big role for us this season." It's a teammate's read, not a coach's minutes commitment.