The Atlanta Hawks come into tonight’s game vs the Charlotte Hornets on a three game winning streak and winners of four of the last five. They have moved into 7th place in the Eastern Conference and have started to separate just a little bit from teams like Miami and Orlando. Tonight represents an opportunity to do just that against one of the worst teams in the NBA.

Our own Rohan Raman gave an in-depth preview of tonight’s game:

“Coming into tonight’s game, the Hawks are 5th in the NBA in PPG, 14th in FG%, 15th in 3PA, 19th in 3P%, 3rd in FTA, 26th in turnovers, and 12th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 17th in points per 100 possessions, 17th in effective field goal percentage, 21st in turnover percentage, 12th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 7th in free throw rate.

Currently, the Hawks rank 27th in PPG allowed, 28th in field goal percentage allowed, 17th in three-point attempts allowed, and 28th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 18th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

The Hornets’ offense is one of the most offensive – and not in a good way – in basketball. They are 28th in the NBA in PPG, 30th in FG%, 7th in 3PA, 28th in 3P% and 27th in FTA, 7th in turnovers, and 30th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Charlotte is 29th in points per 100 possessions, 30th in effective field goal percentage, 25th in turnover percentage, 6th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 29th in free throw rate.

Surprisingly, the numbers suggest the Hornets’ defense is not as putrid as the offense. They rank 14th in PPG allowed, 15th in field goal percentage allowed, 27th in three-point attempts allowed, and 3rd in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hornets are 19th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 20th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Trae Young and Caris LeVert both did not play against the 76ers, but i would be slightly surprised if neither played tonight. Ball and Miles Bridges will both be in the lineup for tonight’s game – that’s enough offensive firepower to give Atlanta pause about not having two of their four best scorers in the lineup. Even so, this should be a great opportunity for Young to rack up 20+ points with 10+ assists without much difficulty. He’s averaging 26.0 points, 7.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds in the two games he’s played against the Hornets this year.

Even though neither team is going to play the most exciting brand of basketball tonight, Dyson Daniels versus LaMelo Ball is one of the more interesting matchups in the NBA. Daniels’ combination of size, length and defensive IQ have been instrumental in him averaging a league-leading 3 steals per game. However, he usually has a height advantage on the opposing ball-handler. There is no such advantage with Ball and the Hornets point guard also has the range to hit shots from practically anywhere on the court. He’s been struggling as of late, but he can take over a game on any given night.

There should also be a good center matchup in this game between Mark Williams and Onyeka Okongwu. Since the trade deadline where he was almost traded to the Lakers, Williams is averaging 19.7 points and 13.2 assists per 36 minutes. He just turned in an excellent 24 point, 10 rebound effort in their win over the Miami Heat. Williams is one of the more inconsistent centers in the league, but it’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top when comparing him and Okongwu. Okongwu has been largely solid since the trade deadline, averaging 17.6 points and 11.6 rebounds on a TS% of 66.8.

Although Ball hasn’t been playing his best basketball recently, Miles Bridges is. In his last five games, he is averaging 33 points, 8.6 rebounds, and four assists. For some perspective, only Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Victor Wembanyama have done that this season. He’s going to be a big challenge for the Hawks to stop. Part of the plan to slow him down is going to be significant defensive minutes for Mo Gueye and Georges Niang.

Due to a back injury, Vit Krejci has been absent from the Hawks’ rotation for an extended period of time. However, he returned against the 76ers and had a modest performance with eight points and four assists. Even if Young plays, it will be interesting to see whether Krejci can take on a larger workload tonight so the Hawks are able to limit Young’s minutes.

DaQuan Jefferies and Josh Green have both been largely non-factors for the Hornets on offense, so the Hawks can hone in on stopping Ball and Bridges. There is still the possibility that those players are able to give Atlanta some problems, but there isn’t much of a supporting cast to really consider in this matchup.”

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, the Hawks are 8.5 point favorites against the Hornets tonight and the total is set at 233.5.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER. 

The Hawks have built some momentum over the last few games and are playing well. Dyson Daniels continues to show why he is one of the NBA’s most improved players, Zaccharie Risacher scored 22 in his last game, and Onyeka Okongwu is showing he is capable of being a starting center. While Atlanta is 2-0 against the Hornets this season, they have struggled with them in the past few seasons. Young and LeVert’s status will be huge tonight, but I like the Hawks to get a win tonight and stretch their winning streak to four.

Final Score: Hawks 128, Hornets 116

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