The Atlanta Hawks get a different kind of test tonight than the one they handled against the Brooklyn Nets. That win came with talent doing the heavy lifting down the stretch, but that same approach won’t be enough against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Los Angeles enters with the league’s best offensive rating and sits seventh in net rating, which is exactly why this matchup feels like a real measuring stick for Atlanta. The Lakers’ trio of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler has already been excellent together, posting a +24.9 net rating across 188 minutes. That group is going to put pressure on the Hawks in plenty of ways, and it should be revealing to see how Atlanta responds against an opponent led by an MVP candidate.
One place the Hawks may be able to make some noise is from the perimeter. The Lakers are on a five-game winning streak, but their defense has not been shutting down the three-point line.
They allow opponents to hit 37.5% from deep, which ranks sixth-worst in the NBA. That matters against an Atlanta team that has leaned hard into its shooting.
The Hawks are fourth in made threes and third in attempts, and they have plenty of floor spacers who can punish a defense that doesn’t close out cleanly.
That opens the door for NAW, CJ and Aaron Wiggins to have strong shooting nights, with Jalen Johnson’s three-point touch also potentially starting to swing back toward its normal level.
Flemings is another Hawk who could find this game useful. The rookie point guard is already averaging 4.4 assists per game, and those passes are leading to real offense rather than empty box score numbers.
His teammates are shooting 78% on the looks he creates, a mark that lands in the 82nd percentile among point guards. He has shown a feel for reading the floor and slipping the ball to the right spot at the right time.
The turnovers are still part of the package, but the Lakers could also be the kind of opponent that lets him flash the best version of his playmaking. Los Angeles ranks third in steals, so there’s real risk if they start blitzing him. At the same time, the Lakers give up the 10th-most transition points per game, which could turn into easy assists if Atlanta can push the pace before the defense gets set.
Johnson’s role looms just as large. He hasn’t been at his best early in the season, but he looked sharp in the halfcourt during the fourth quarter against Brooklyn. Atlanta needs that version of him to show up again if it wants a chance tonight.
There’s reason to think Johnson could be in line for a big night on the glass and as a passer. The Lakers are 28th in defensive rebounds per game, so there may not be much resistance on the boards beyond Walker Kessler.
And while Los Angeles does force turnovers, it no longer has a strong physical presence like LeBron to bother JJ the way that has happened before. Johnson has had trouble against the Lakers in the past, especially when James was the one checking him.
Since 2024, he’s averaged 15.9 points on a measly 41.7 TS% in the 47 possessions he’s faced James.
That specific problem is gone now. Matisse Thybulle and Jake LaRavia can hold up at times, but neither is built to absorb Johnson’s physicality or consistently deal with his burst. Thybulle may swipe a few steals, but the setup looks favorable for Johnson to put together a strong performance and keep building back toward the player who once sparked real excitement as a possible No. 1 option.
In Other News...
Hawks Face A Luka Problem Before The Lakers Even Tip Off
Luka Doncics availability is already shaping the conversation around the Hawks next matchup, even before the Lakers arrive. Doncic sat out Sundays game against the Pistons with lower back tightness, and that has put a familiar layer of uncertainty on a team that can look entirely different depending on whether he is on the floor.
For Atlanta, the concern is obvious: if Doncic plays, the Hawks are dealing with one of the leagues most difficult offensive engines, but if he does not, the game changes shape quickly. The Lakers could also choose to be cautious with him on the second night of a back-to-back, leaving the Hawks to wait and see which version of the opponent they will actually have to solve. [Read more 🡒]
Dyson Daniels Is Giving Hawks Fans A Strong Rebuttal To Critics
The Hawks fourth straight win, a comeback over the Nets, offered another reminder of why Dyson Daniels has quickly become such an important part of this group. He finished with a near triple-double, piling up nine points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, six steals and a block, the kind of all-around line that shows how much he impacts a game even when the shot isnt the headline.
For a player who has drawn plenty of attention for his offense, the bigger story in Atlanta has been everything else he brings. Daniels defense and playmaking have helped stabilize the Hawks, and the teams numbers with him on the floor point to a player whose value goes well beyond scoring. The question now is whether that broader impact keeps forcing a rethink of the criticism around him. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Have One Real Chance To Frustrate Luka Tonight
Luka Doncic has been playing at an MVP level, piling up 40.1 points per game while shooting 49.8 percent and adding his usual load of rebounds and assists. For the Hawks, the challenge tonight is less about stopping him altogether and more about making every touch feel crowded, uncomfortable and a little slower than he wants it to be.
Atlanta does have a few defensive options that have given Doncic some trouble before, with Dyson Daniels and Luguentz Dort among the kinds of active, physical defenders who can at least make him work for clean looks. The bigger question is whether the Hawks can keep rotating fresh bodies at him, stay disciplined on the help and make him solve a different look possession after possession. [Read more 🡒]