Three Storylines I am Watching In the Atlanta Hawks Preseason game vs Dallas

The Hawks play their preseason finale tonight on the road vs the Mavericks and here are the storylines to watch

Oct 14, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) reacts during the first quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The final preseason game for the Atlanta Hawks is here.

With only five days until the first game of the season arrives, Atlanta heads to Dallas tonight for the final exhibition contest before they get ready for the Orlando Magic next Wednesday to start the 2026-2027 season. Atlanta is 3-1 during the preseason, with three straight wins since the loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, and they are aiming to end the preseason on a high note.

Here is what I am watching tonight.

One last tuneup or another night's rest?

With no injury reports before games, you are left guessing heading into games who is actually going to suit up for a team on any given night.

Atlanta has not had all of their starters present for a game during the preseason and in the win over Oklahoma City on Monday, they sat six of their top seven rotation players. Will head coach Quin Snyder opt to try and give his starters a run at the beginning of the game to try and get some extra work in or will this be another night where Atlanta turns to the bench and the reserves to try and get them another win?

The same can be said of Dallas. Will they elect to let most of their starters play or will they just look to get as healthy as they can for opening week?

Zaccharie Risacher vs the Hawks

In one of their biggest moves of the offseason, Atlanta made a three-team trade with the Thunder and Mavericks, and in the deal, Atlanta ended up with Lu Dort and Ryan Nembhard, while the Mavericks got former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.

It has been an up-and-down preseason for Risacher, with some of the same problems that he had with Atlanta still showing up. He is fighting for a key spot in the Mavericks rotation, and I would bet that even if Dallas sits their starters, I think that Risacher is going to get some time on the court.

Can Kobe Johnson continue to showout?

One of the most impressive players in the entire preseason for the Hawks has been Kobe Johnson. Johnson is familiar to Hawks fans, as he was a star for the G League College Park Skyhawks last season and then he had a big summer league for Atlanta.

He has not gotten to play over 10 minutes in any game, but he has been very effective in every game, whether it is as a defensive player, rebounder, or a much-improved three-point shooter.

While I think that it is a long-shot, there is a chance that Johnson could parlay his strong preseason into a two-way contract and he should see plenty of time tonight vs Dallas.