Hawks vs. Cavaliers preview: a preseason rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals

The Atlanta Hawks are coming off of one of the best seasons in franchise history, after winning 60 games, and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. Their first preseason game will come against LeBron James and those same Cleveland Cavaliers, who are looking to take another step of their own, in winning an NBA championship.

The Hawks are a different looking team than they were in May, with not only new additions in Thiago Splitter and Tim Hardaway Jr., but they are also healthy again, most notably with Kyle Korver and Thabo Sefolosha. Seeing the Hawks at full force, while it is preseason, should be something to look for, and of course, most people will be getting their first look at those new uniforms.

The Cavaliers were also plagued by the injury bug during the postseason last year. Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Iman Shumpert, and Anderson Varejao are all still listed on the Cavaliers injury report. While still nursing these injuries, the Cavaliers will undoubtedly be the Hawks biggest competition in the Eastern conference. Once again, if the Hawks want to advance to the Finals, the road almost certainly goes through Cleveland.

While the preseason shouldn't be looked into too much, there are things you should look for in the Hawks. The 15th roster spot has yet to be filled, so the play of Lamar Patterson, Terran Petteway, DeQuan Jones, Edgar Sosa, Earl Barron, and Arslan Kazemi will be something to keep an eye on. Wing rotation for the Hawks might be something to watch, considering all of the talent the Hawks have there, as well as how Kyle Korver and Thabo Sefolosha look coming off of their respective injuries.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Wednesday, October 7, 7:00 p.m. ET

Location: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, Ohio

TV: FOX Sports Southeast, NBA TV

Radio: 92.9 "The Game" FM