Atlanta's best argument is Jalen Johnson. He was the best player on the floor in the loss, with 26 points, 16 assists (tying his career high), 9 rebounds and 2 steals in 38 minutes. He's put up at least 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in all 3 games this season, and with the ball in his hands this much he's running the offense as a point forward, not just scoring off the wing. The Hawks don't need to find an offense. They scored 114 and dropped 33 in the 3rd quarter. What they need is a way to stop giving up 30 points a quarter.
That defense is the question Atlanta has to answer. Against a depleted Charlotte it looked dominant in a 128-81 rout. Against a Rockets team missing its starting point guard, its starting center and its backup point guard, it gave up at least 29 in every quarter. The frontcourt is thin, too: Henri Veesaar is out for the season with a torn ACL and Mouhamed Gueye is out after foot surgery. If Adams is back and setting screens and grabbing offensive boards for Houston, there aren't many bodies left to throw at him.
Houston's 3-0 start has some real wins in it. The Rockets beat Dallas by 18 at home, won at San Antonio by 4, then won in Atlanta shorthanded. That's 2 road wins in 2 nights, and the second one came without their top 2 point guards and their starting center. If the rest plan works the way Udoka set it up, Monday is the first time in a few days they get to play at full strength.
For Atlanta, being 2-1 means more than this one game. The Hawks have scored 114 or more in all 3 games, and Johnson is putting up numbers that hold up against anyone. What they haven't done yet is beat a team that's playing well. A road win over a rested, healthier Houston would answer that, and it's the clearest measuring stick they'll get this early in the season.