Hawks Open Practice Offers A Glimpse Of The 2022-23 Season

The Atlanta Hawks held an open practice on Wednesday, September 28, at the State Farm Arena.

Seven thousand fans were in attendance to see the team’s 2022-23 roster, which features All-NBA Team guard Trae Young and 2022 NBA All-Star guard Dejounte Murray.

The open practice was led by Mike Longabardi, the Hawks assistant coach who ran the team through drills and a scrimmage that had Atlanta fans ready to see more of what’s to come this season.

The players went for two quarters which was a game-like situation.

Since the team does not host any preseason games at home, the open practice served as a trial run for Atlanta ahead of Opening Night next month.

Head Coach Nate McMillan said that he thinks the players they brought in will help establish and set the tone for being the defensive team they want to be this season.

“We showed our numbers last year and were ranked defensively throughout the season. We were amongst one of the top teams offensively and worse defensively, so we know we have to work on that. Last year we learned we’ve got to commit to the defensive end of the floor to take the next step,” said McMillan.

Justin Holiday, who played for the Hawks in his third season before being traded to the Chicago Bulls, is excited about the team’s vision for this upcoming season.

Says Holiday, “It was very exciting. It was a lot more people than I expected when you spend a whole summer not playing in front of people; sometimes you forget what that feels like.”

On July 6, 2022, Holiday was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Kevin Huerter.

“I feel the energy from the fans. It always kind of shows you the difference between practice and a real game. Obviously, it wasn’t a real game, but to get that taste and get that feel, it reminds you that it’s about to be for real it’s about to start,” said Holiday.

The Hawks will host the Houston Rockets at State Farm Arena on October 19.