Memphis Grizzlies Vs Atlanta Hawks
7:00pm Phillips Arena
TV - None
Radio - None
Rejoice fans, Basketball is officially back tonight at Phillips Arena. The Larry Drew era officially begins tonight as the Hawks take on the Memphis Grizzlies at 7:00pm. The Grizzlies come in at 1-0 having defeated the Indiana Pacers in a turnover filled game last night.
From a Hawks standpoint I will be looking forward to seeing the new offense up close and personal. The people that have seen it have said that longtime Hawks fans are in for a shock with all of the movement. Tonight will be the first test of that new scheme against a live defense.
Conversely I want to see how the Hawks defend the Grizzlies. While the new offense has gotten much of the talk, Coach Drew is also going to change up the strategy on defense. I look for the Hawks to play a lot more straight up this season with a lot less switching on screens.
I also want to see Jeff Teague and if he gets to run the point with the other first team. It is important to the Hawks success this season to work him more into the game plan. I want to see if he comes out passive or if he is aggressive in running the team.
Also this will be the non summer league debut of Jordan Crawford and the Hawks debuts of Etan Thomas and Josh Powell. I don't we will be able to draw any future rotation conclusions from tonights game but I want to see these guys hit the floor and how the coaching staff uses them.
The Hawks injury report has Pape Sy (back) listed as out, Mo Evans (knee) as doubtful, and Jamal Crawford (back) as questionable. Coach Drew plans to play his starters about half the game so health is still a primary concern at this point.
I will be at Phillips Arena tonight so look for my first hand recap either late tonight or first thing in the morning. You can also follow me on Twitter for my updates.