The Hawks are heading into tonight’s matchup with Indiana in rough shape up front, but the Pacers are even thinner.
Atlanta ruled out Jalen Johnson earlier in the evening, and he’s now joined by Jock Landale, Mouhamed Gueye and Henri Veesaar on the unavailable list. That leaves the Hawks short on frontcourt bodies, though Indiana’s injury situation is even more severe.
The Pacers were already without Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac, and on the second night of a back-to-back they’ll also be missing Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin, T.J. McConnell and Ben Sheppard. That’s a long list, and it leaves Indiana with very few available players for a game against an Atlanta team that wants to take advantage.
Both teams went with the following starting lineups:
G- CJ McCollum
G- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
G/F- Dyson Daniels
F- Lu Dort
C- Onyeka Okongwu
G- Braden Smith
G- Quenton Jackson
F- Jarace Walker
F- Jalen Slawson
C- Jay Huff
Dort sliding into the starting five for Johnson is the expected move. He’s been Atlanta’s backup power forward through the first seven games of the regular season and has been the first man off the bench each night. Against a normal front line, his size would raise some concerns on the glass, but that issue may not carry the same weight in a game like this.
With Dort starting and Landale also unavailable, Atlanta may need to piece together minutes from Asa Newell, Zuby Ejiofor and Dorian Finney-Smith. Newell filled in for Landale on Saturday against the Pelicans, while Ejiofor and Finney-Smith have yet to log meaningful rotation minutes this season.
The other wrinkle is in the backcourt. Kingston Flemings is suspended, and the Hawks don’t have a clear backup point guard available. That leaves Quin Snyder with a decision to make: lean on CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels and Aaron Wiggins to handle the ball, or give two-way guard RayJ Dennis his first real action of the season.
In a season already packed with injuries, this one may be the clearest example yet. Hawks-Pacers is walking into the night extremely short-handed on both sides.
In Other News...
Hawks Have A Real Chance To Test Two Intriguing Rotation Options
The Hawks head into their matchup with the Pacers in a spot that could open the door for a little lineup experimentation. Indiana is set to be without several key players, including its projected starting five, which changes the feel of the game before it even tips off. Atlanta, meanwhile, is expected to have enough available bodies to keep its regular structure intact, but the circumstances also create a chance for Quin Snyder to look a little deeper into the rotation.
One of the more interesting possibilities is how the Hawks handle the minutes behind their usual core. With the game setting up as a chance to see what some lesser-used pieces can do, rookie Ejiofor could be in line for a look in the frontcourt after Jock Landales early exit against New Orleans. There is also a path for RayJ Dennis to get a turn running the offense with Kingston Flemings suspended, giving Atlanta a live game setting to evaluate two roles it may need to answer sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Dyson Daniels Could Face A Bigger Hawks Test Than Expected
The Hawks may have to adjust their rotation sooner than expected, and that could put Dyson Daniels in a much different spot than the one he usually occupies. With Kingston Flemings set to miss one game because of suspension and Jalen Johnson listed as questionable for the same matchup, Atlanta may need Daniels to do more than defend and keep the offense moving in its usual flow.
Daniels has built his value on the defensive end, but the Hawks could ask him to shoulder a bigger scoring and playmaking load if the lineup thins out. If that expanded role proves too much in the moment, RayJ Dennis is there as another option, which gives Atlanta at least one more path to cover the absences without overextending Daniels. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Lose A Bench Bright Spot At The Worst Possible Time
Atlantas bench has been getting a lift from Kingson Flemings in his rookie season, which is part of why the timing of his latest setback stings. The Hawks guard had become a notable contributor for a second unit that has needed reliable energy, and now that momentum gets interrupted after a late-game incident in New Orleans.
Flemings was ejected late in the fourth quarter against the Pelicans after elbowing Bryce McGowens in the head, and the NBA followed with a one-game suspension. For Atlanta, the immediate concern is the absence of a player who had started to carve out a real role, leaving the Hawks to patch together their backcourt rotation for the next matchup against the Indiana Pacers. [Read more 🡒]