The Atlanta Hawks are back in action tonight after four days off, and the timing lines up perfectly for a road trip to one of the NBA’s most vulnerable teams.
Chicago has been a mess through 10 games. The Bulls are 1-9, own the league’s worst point differential at -15.5, and sit at the bottom of the NBA in net rating at -15.1. They’ll also be without promising rookie Caleb Wilson, while sharpshooter Norm Powell is questionable.
That sets up a matchup where Atlanta should have plenty of room to work, especially on the offensive end. Chicago’s defense has been leaking points all season - the Bulls have allowed 124 points in every game - and the Hawks just put up a season-high 139 against the Washington Wizards a week ago.
Atlanta’s scoring can swing with the three-point shot, but this is the kind of opponent that can let the Hawks get comfortable early. Chicago doesn’t bring elite rim protection or much resistance at the point of attack, so if the shots are falling, Atlanta could put up a big number.
Onyeka Okongwu looks like a player who could take advantage of that setup. He’s been rolling lately, and the Bulls don’t appear to have many answers for him either inside or when he steps out.
His recent run has been steady and productive: 16 points and nine rebounds against the Lakers, 16 points and two rebounds against the Nets, 22 points and 10 rebounds against the Wizards, 14 points and 16 rebounds against the Wizards, and 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Pacers. With that kind of form, this feels like a strong spot for one of his best games of the season.
Defensively, Atlanta has a chance to make life miserable for Chicago’s ball-handlers as well. The Bulls aren’t dead last in turnovers, but they’re facing a Hawks group that thrives on creating mistakes, and Dyson Daniels stands out as one of the best steal artists in the league, if not the best.
Josh Giddey’s usage has dipped this season, but he’s still giving the ball away too often, and Daniels is expected to shadow him for most of the night. That should give Daniels another productive outing on the defensive end.
In Other News...
Hawks Get A Big Opening In Pace Battle With Short-Handed Bulls
The Bulls already difficult start just got a little more complicated heading into their matchup with the Hawks. Chicago is trying to dig out of a 1-9 hole, and the game brings together two teams that like to push the tempo, which usually makes for a faster, looser kind of night than the standings might suggest.
For Atlanta, the opening is obvious: a short-handed opponent in a game where pace can turn into extra possessions and easy offense. Chicago will have to lean harder on its other young pieces to keep up, but the bigger question is how well it can hold together against a Hawks team that should be eager to run and pressure the game from the opening tip. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Still Have One Defensive Problem Without Mo Gueye
The Hawks search for sturdier rim protection has been a recurring theme early on, and the absence of Mo Gueye has only made the frontcourt rotation thinner. With injuries already testing Atlantas interior defense, the team has been forced to lean on stopgap answers while trying to keep opponents out of the paint and limit easy looks around the basket.
Gueye is now moving in the right direction, but the timeline still leaves Atlanta waiting. The Hawks said he has progressed to on-court activities and will be re-evaluated in about four weeks, which means the team will be operating without him for at least another month as it keeps working to shore up that defensive issue in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]
Kingston Flemings Is Giving The Hawks A New Point Guard Debate
Early in the season, Kingston Flemings has pushed his way into the Hawks' point guard picture and made it hard for the staff to ignore what he brings. After earning the starting role, he has appeared in 11 games and has flashed the kind of passing, shooting efficiency and defensive upside that can change how a backcourt is built around him.
The debate now is less about whether Flemings belongs in the rotation and more about how much runway he should get as the season settles in. His best stretch has already included a strong showing against the Miami Heat, and with each game he keeps adding weight to the idea that Atlanta may have found a different kind of lead guard than the one it expected. [Read more 🡒]