Five things to watch during the Hawks’ exhibition season

The Hawks will play basketball again.

The team kicks off its exhibition season on Monday when it travels to Houston to face the new-look Rockets.

The Hawks will play a total of four exhibition games, which will give them a chance to see what this new roster can do. With the games not counting toward their regular-season record, the Hawks can tinker with different lineups before it’s time for the real thing.

Here are five things to watch during the exhibition season.

Big men minutes

After the Hawks acquired Kristaps Porzingis in the offseason, many wondered if he would start at center.

While the exhibition season will not provide conclusive evidence that Porzingis will start at the five this season, it could give a little insight into what could be this season.

What Hawks fans can make some conclusions on are the different combinations the team uses.

Having Jalen Johnson back and healthy, as well as the expectation that Onyeka Okongwu takes another step forward, allows the Hawks to run with a variety of lineups alongside Porzingis.

Hawks coach Quin Snyder also stresses that it’s not about who starts, but rather who finishes the game. So, the minutes between Okongwu and Porzingis will likely even out by the end of the game.

Backup ball handler committee

The Hawks traded away former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin last month. They also opted not to sign a traditional point guard to back up Trae Young when he goes to the bench.

They’ll instead roll with a committee of players who will have the ball in their hands at any point to set up the play.

Hawks guards Luke Kennard, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will likely set up some of the options in the half-court. The Hawks have also relied on Vit Krejci and two-way guard Keaton Wallace as backup ball handlers.

Johnson also pushed much of the Hawks’ action in transition last season before his season-ending injury in January. So, the Hawks will look to the 23-year-old as another player who can get the team into action.

Rotation depth

The exhibition season gives the Hawks a chance to evaluate the lineups that they could use throughout the season against live competition. So, with several significant additions to the roster, the Hawks are firmly in the information-gathering stage of the season.

While there may not be a definitive answer on how deep into the bench Snyder will go, Hawks fans could glean the order players could come off the bench.

Got space?

The Hawks went out and got shooters in the offseason. With Alexander-Walker, Kennard and Porzingis in the fold, the Hawks have improved as a 3-point shooting team on paper this season.

This, of course, opens up things in the paint for Young, who likes to get downhill and attack. But it also opens up the floor for Johnson, who can punish the rim in the pick-and-roll or quick cuts to the basket.

But the Hawks have the opportunity to stretch defenses to their limit after loading up on sharpshooters this offseason.