Three big takeaways from the first look at the retooled team

The Hawks showcased both their new players and even a new way of playing basketball on Tuesday night in a 131-130 win over the Indiana Pacers. It was a thrilling contest with loads of great ball movement — and one that may begin to turn the page on a dull past two or three seasons.

The Pacers and Hawks always seem to link up for high-octane basketball over the past 12 months, and even in preseason, this contest was no different. The teams combined for 261 points in 221 possessions and the game quite literally came down to the final second.

As a team, the Hawks shared the ball, registering 35 assists on 47 made field goals (right around 75% for their assisted field goal rate). However, they…