Corey Kispert will come off the bench for Saturday's Game 1 matchup with the Knicks, returning to a reserve role for the playoffs after starting in Atlanta's regular-season finale.
The Hawks rested most of their main guys in that final game, and Kispert's move back to the second unit restores the role he held for much of the season. As a reserve, Kispert averaged 8.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists while adding 1.4 three-pointers per game.
That production gives Atlanta a familiar option off the bench at a time when playoff rotations tend to tighten. Kispert's scoring and spacing from the second unit have been a steady part of his season, and the Hawks are now turning back to that formula against New York.
The only real change is where Kispert begins the game, not what Atlanta expects from him. After a brief start in the finale, he is back where the Hawks have used him most, and Game 1 will show whether that same reserve role can carry into the postseason.
