Coming into tonight’s game vs the Hawks, Lakers superstar LeBron James was listed as questionable due to left foot soreness. The Lakers, who have lost six of their last eight games, have just announced James status for tonight’s game. James is going to play tonight after being questionable all day leading up to the day.

The Hawks meanwhile have been rolling. They have won five straight, including wins over Cleveland (twice) and Milwaukee. They are playing really well right now and are healthier than the Lakers.

Coming into tonight’s game, the Hawks are 8th in the NBA in PPG, 14th in FG%, 20th in 3PA, 23rd in 3P%, 6th in FTA, 25th in turnovers, and 5th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 15th in points per 100 possessions, 20th in effective field goal percentage, 21st in turnover percentage, 7th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 9th in free throw rate.

Currently, the Hawks rank 27th in PPG allowed, 13th in field goal percentage allowed, 30th in three-point attempts allowed, and 30th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 14th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 22nd in effective field goal percentage allowed.

The Lakers come into tonight’s game 17th in PPG, 10th in FG%, 27th in 3PA, 20th 3P%, 3rd FTA, 27th in rebounding, and 7th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, LA is 12th in points per 100 possessions, 14th in effective field goal, 7th TOV%, 23rd in ORB%, and 1st in free throw rate.

Defense is where the issues for the Lakers have been. The Lakers are 22nd in PPG allowed, 30th in FG% allowe, 15th in 3PA allowed, and 26th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Lakers are 27th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 26th in effective field goal percentage.

Trae Young is averaging 20.7 PPG and 12.0 APG (leads the league) coming into tonight’s game. The biggest thing you can criticize about Young’s game this year is that he is not shooting the ball well. Young is shooting 38% from the field and 30% from three this season, but if he starts shooting well, watch out. He has been a great facilitator this year and could have a big game against what has been a poor Lakers defense.

Dyson Daniels only scored nine points in Wednesday’s win vs Milwaukee, but defense is where he makes his biggest impact. HIs intensity has rubbed off on his teammates and has led the surge the Hawks have had on defense. I suspect Daniels will guard D’Angelo Russell tonight.

Zaccharie Risacher has scored in double-digits in five straight games and has shot 50% from three in four of his past five games. The three-point shooting has been the toughest thing for Risacher so far, but he is starting to shoot it better on top of playing good defense.

Jalen Johnson is averaging 20.1 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 5.5 APG this season and seems to be getting better and better each game. He scored 23 points on 10-19 shooting vs the Bucks on Wednesday and also had 13 rebounds and five assists.

Clint Capela is going to have a tough assignment tonight with Anthony Davis. Davis has been one of the best players in the NBA this season and is averaging 26.9 PPG and 11.3 RPG. If James is indeed out, the Hawks can’t let Davis have a monster night and win the game on his own.

The Hawks bench has been the catalyst of the five-game winning streak. De’Andre Hunter is playing the best basketball of his career, averaging 18.7 PPG off the bench and shooting 40.8% from three. Bogdan Bogdanovic is coming off of a 15 point game on Wednesday and Onyeka Okongwu played one of his best defensive games of the year. Kobe Bufking only plays around 12 minutes or so per game, but he is starting to get more comfortable

Defense and the Hawks bench depth have been what has guided them to this five game winning streak and they are going to be the healthier team in this game. Atlanta cannot allow the Lakers role players to have big games. In the loss to Dallas, the Mavericks were missing Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson, but got big nights from Jaden Hardy, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Naji Marshall. They can’t allow guys like Russell, Dalton Knecht, or others to get hot shooting. The defense for the Hawks has been very good lately so there is some belief they are turning a corner.

Additional Links:

Hawks vs Lakers: Injury Report

The Atlanta Hawks Are The Hottest Team In Basketball And The NBA World Is Starting To Take Notice

NBA Analyst Shares What The Atlanta Hawks Goals Should Be At The Trade Deadline