The Hawks are back on the road after Thursday night’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and their first stop on a three-game trip comes against a Pelicans team that finally broke through with a win of its own. New Orleans beat the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night, and both clubs have a clear reason to want this one: Atlanta is trying to climb back above .500, while the Pelicans are looking to avoid dropping to 1-5.
Even in October, that gives this matchup some bite.
One reason these teams feel linked is the series of moves that have connected them over the past few offseasons. Atlanta sent starting guard Dejounte Murray to New Orleans and got Dyson Daniels plus a draft pick that might convey this season. Daniels has quickly become one of the league’s top perimeter defenders since landing in Atlanta, finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024-2025.
Then came the 2025 NBA Draft, when the Pelicans pulled off a surprising deal with the Hawks. New Orleans moved up from No. 23 to No. 13, swapped picks with Atlanta, and sent over its unprotected 2026 draft pick, which became Kingston Flemings.
The two franchises appear to be headed in different directions, but those transactions have tied them together for the time being.
There are also a couple of lineup questions worth watching as this season unfolds. One possibility is Kingston Flemings or Aaron Wiggins eventually taking over in the starting lineup for CJ McCollum. Another is Atlanta giving Asa Newell a look as the backup power forward.
Wiggins has been one of the best bench guards in the NBA this season, while Flemings turned in a 23-5-5 performance on Wednesday against the Miami Heat. The feeling here is that Flemings will be a starter before the year is over, and with the way McCollum has played lately, that move could come sooner rather than later.
On the Atlanta side, Lu Dort has handled the backup power forward spot, but that arrangement has not always worked, especially when it comes to size and rebounding. Newell comes with defensive questions, but he could give the Hawks something they need on the glass.
The Pelicans’ record says 1-4, but that doesn’t make them harmless. They have enough talent to beat anyone on a given night.
New Orleans’ offense is the part Atlanta has to respect most, particularly with Murray likely back in the lineup tonight. The Pelicans are sixth in the NBA in points per game and fourth in field goal percentage, and they can do damage inside.
That matters because the Hawks have already given up plenty in the paint this season. Zion Williamson, in particular, looks like a difficult matchup.
The Pelicans don’t take many threes, and they aren’t especially efficient when they do, but they can still put points on the board. Atlanta’s defense has been pushed around before, and it will need to answer that challenge tonight.
In Other News...
Former Hawks Pick Is Already Making That Trade Look Painful
Zaccharie Risachers move from Atlanta to Dallas is starting to look like the kind of trade that lingers in the mind of a front office. The former Hawks pick has found a clearer defensive lane with the Mavericks, where his activity and impact on that end have taken a noticeable jump under coach Dusty May. Even with the shot still not fully cooperating, Risacher has carved out a real role in Dallas rotation plans because of the energy and length he brings every night.
The defensive numbers back up what the eye test has already suggested, and they point to a player whose value is rising fast in a new setting. For Atlanta, that makes the deal harder to ignore, especially with Risacher already showing he can affect games without needing the offense to come around first. The only question now is how far this version of him can go if the shooting ever catches up to the defense. [Read more 🡒]
Donovan Mitchell Is Taking Heat After Costly Late Sequence Vs Hawks
Donovan Mitchells night against Atlanta was already under the microscope after a rough shooting performance in Clevelands 114-111 loss, and the final minutes only sharpened the scrutiny. He finished 7-for-19 from the field and 1-for-9 from deep, a line that left the Cavaliers searching for answers in a game they could not afford to let slip away.
The sequence most fans latched onto came late in the fourth quarter, when Mitchell wound up with a possession that was supposed to go elsewhere and then came up empty on the ensuing three. Social media quickly turned on the moment, but there was at least some pushback from the broadcast and analysis side, with the suggestion that the play may have gone sideways because of a breakdown in the action rather than a selfish decision. [Read more 🡒]
Kingston Flemings Is Making The Hawks Ask A Tough Early Question
Kingston Flemings has given the Hawks something worth monitoring this early in the season: a young guard who already looks comfortable running an offense. His passing has stood out, and his production has been steady enough to put him in the conversation as a possible long-term answer at point guard, especially when measured against what Atlanta has been getting from CJ McCollum.
The bigger question is how quickly the Hawks are willing to trust that growth. Flemings has flashed enough playmaking to make a future starting role feel like more than a remote idea, but Atlanta has not made any lineup changes yet. For now, the organization is left weighing whether his early impact is simply a promising start or the beginning of a real push for a larger role. [Read more 🡒]