Charlotte- -- Those Hawks on the floor to close the game Monday are not the players who will be out there for winning time when it counts.
Instead, this was a chance for Hawks coach Larry Drew to see what his neophytes could do in a game situation that didn't count.
“I wanted to put them in that situation to see how they respond to it,” Drew said.
The answer: not very well. A series of blunders in the closing minutes sent the Hawks to a 79-77 loss to Charlotte in the exhibition opener for both teams.
The outcome was inconsequential but there was real value in one of just two exhibition games to be played before Atlanta opens the season on Dec. 27. Drew got a chance to evaluate the young players on the roster and also acclimate the new veterans.
“We saw what we wanted to see, particularly with the new faces,” Drew said. “We wanted to get a real look at the new guys and play some different combinations.”
Atlanta's lineup at the end consisted of three rookie free agents and two second-round draft picks. The inexperience showed after guard Donald Sloan's driving score gave Atlanta a 77-76 lead.
Charlotte's Kemba Walker, the No. 9 overall pick in the June draft, ran Sloan off a pick and scored on a floater for a 78-77 lead with 55.8 seconds left. Sloan then launched a jump shot without passing and Charlotte collected the rebound.
Walker missed for Charlotte, but teammate Ben Uzoh chased down the long rebound. He gave the ball to Walker, who dribbled for about four seconds before Sloan finally fouled him.
After Walker made 1 of 2 free-throw attempts, Sloan's rushed 3-point attempt at the buzzer was an airball.
“It was very shaky,” Drew said of the closing moments.
It was much better for the Hawks when their regulars were on the floor. Atlanta's starters had little trouble handling the Bobcats, who are in rebuilding mode after trading away veterans last season.
Starters Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and Al Horford combined to make 21 of 42 shots and had nine of Atlanta's 17 assists. That's despite none of them playing more than 21 minutes.
“The starting five played well together as far as sharing the basketball and getting each other open looks,” Smith said. “We've been together for so long we just know and trust each other on the court.”
The scoring dropped off dramatically when the reserves were on the court.
Tracy McGrady and Vladimir Radmanovic, Atlanta's top two veteran acquisitions, both had quiet nights. Radmanovic immediately got in foul trouble and looked out of rhythm and McGrady attempted just two shots in 12 minutes.
Drew wanted to take a close look at Sloan, Pape Sy and Brad Wanamaker to see if they can fill in as the backup point guard while Kirk Hinrich recovers from shoulder surgery. Each guard had some nice moments mixed in with some sloppy play.
Sy, Atlanta's second-round draft pick in 2010, played most of his minutes at shooting guard. When the ball came around to Sy, he aggressively drove to the basket.
“He's athletic, he's aggressive,” Drew said. “He just has to know when to push it and when not to and understand the controlled aspect of the game. He lost it a couple times trying to make something happen that wasn't there. That comes with youth.”
Center Keith Benson, Atlanta's second-round pick, disrupted Charlotte's shot attempts on the weak side and also defended well in space. He had three blocked shots in 14 minutes.
“In camp he started a little slow but I think he's really proven himself,” Horford said of Benson. “You won't see it in the stat sheet but he really impacted the game defensively. I know he's young and it's a preseason game but that was good to see.”
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