2026-10-16 · 7:00 PM CT · Preseason
Atlanta Hawks46-36
Dallas Mavericks26-56ESPN standings data retrieved October 6, 2026. NBA comparisons use the completed 2025–26 regular season. Each upcoming fixture labels preseason or regular-season status.
Atlanta Hawks2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 118.5 | 6 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 43.5 | 18 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 30.1 | 1 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 13.4 | 10 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 9.4 | 5 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 4.7 | 18 / 30 |
| FG% | 47.4% | 13 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 37.1% | 5 / 30 |
| FT% | 77.4% | 20 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 55.4% | 10 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 11.7% | 9 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.234 | 27 / 30 |
Dallas Mavericks2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 114.1 | 23 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 44.7 | 10 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 25.3 | 22 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 14.0 | 18 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 7.5 | 24 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 5.2 | 10 / 30 |
| FG% | 46.6% | 19 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 34.4% | 26 / 30 |
| FT% | 75.5% | 28 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 52.7% | 28 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 12.1% | 14 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.287 | 6 / 30 |
ESPN team totals and game box scores checked October 6. NBA season averages and ranks use 2025–26; preseason game results are shown separately. Ranks are within the league, with ties sharing a rank; a lower turnover rate is better. Season offensive rebound rate needs opponent defensive-rebound totals, which this feed does not supply. A dash means unavailable. This game’s offensive rebound rate uses the opponent’s actual rebounds.
eFG% gives a made three its extra value. Turnover rate estimates the share of plays lost before a shot. Offensive rebound rate is the share of available offensive rebounds collected. Free-throw pressure is FTA/FGA. The calculations are (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM)/FGA; TOV/(FGA + 0.44 × FTA + TOV); OREB/(OREB + opponent DREB); and FTA/FGA.
This is preseason. Use the team numbers as background and watch how the new lineups play together. No spread or Lab win probability is published for this game.
Last season 46-36 | 6th in the East | Lost in First Round
2025-26 efficiency 115.0 offense | 112.9 defense | +2.2 net per 100 possessions
Atlanta finished sixth at 46-36 and lost to New York in the first round after taking a 2-1 lead. The Hawks were much better after the All-Star break, with a plus-9.7 net rating, but the finishing schedule was favorable. That improvement is meaningful evidence. It is not a reason to project the late-season pace across an entire new campaign.
The front office added Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Dorian Finney-Smith around Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. CJ McCollum remains an experienced scorer after the Trae Young trade changed the offense during last season. The wing additions give Quin Snyder more ways to apply pressure and protect a weaker defender without immediately losing shooting or size.
The unfinished question is top-end half-court creation. Johnson's development can raise the ceiling, but adding more useful defenders does not guarantee a clean shot against an organized playoff defense. The Hawks had 115.0 points per 100 possessions over the full season, a much more modest offense than the closing run suggests. Management improved the support group while keeping the harder shot-creation assignment largely with the existing leaders.
Projected finish is tenth in the East. Atlanta can improve its actual play while sliding in the standings as rivals regain stars or add them. We see a tight Play-In race rather than a collapse. A larger jump from Johnson, combined with repeatable offensive efficiency against strong opponents, would justify moving the Hawks higher.
Last season 26-56 | 12th in the West | Missed postseason, Flagg won Rookie of the Year
2025-26 efficiency 110.3 offense | 115.5 defense | -5.2 net per 100 possessions
Dallas finished 12th at 26-56, but Cooper Flagg's Rookie of the Year season supplied a clear direction. The team ranked 27th offensively, and its transition success concealed the league's worst half-court efficiency. Running faster could produce good stretches. It could not solve the possessions that began against an organized defense.
Masai Ujiri took over the basketball operation and hired Dusty May. Santi Aldama, Zaccharie Risacher and Marcus Sasser give the roster younger supporting options, and Kyrie Irving returns after missing a season. Irving is the clearest route to improving half-court creation without asking Flagg to manufacture every advantage himself. Aldama can also help make the frontcourt easier to space.
The unresolved question is whether management is building a coherent team around Flagg's development or preserving several competing timelines. Irving helps immediately, but his role and long-term place matter. Risacher needs to become a useful rotation wing, not simply a former first pick with another chance. May also has to find combinations that avoid crowding Flagg's drives. More pace cannot replace spacing when the opponent gets back.
Projected finish is 11th in the West. We expect an offensive improvement and a second-year step from Flagg, without assuming an immediate star leap large enough to erase every roster weakness. Dallas is a reasonable Play-In challenger if Irving's return goes well. A meaningful season would establish which players make Flagg more effective and belong in the next version of the team.
