The Hawks have a real opening tonight in Indiana, and they need to treat it like one.
After a rough night against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, Atlanta gets a Pacers team that is missing Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, T.J. McConnell, and Ben Sheppard.
That means Indiana is down its entire projected starting five from the start of the season. Some of that comes from the Pacers playing last night against the Brooklyn Nets, and head coach Rick Carlisle is expected to take the cautious route against Atlanta.
So the message for the Hawks is simple: take care of business.
Even with Jock Landale and Kingston Flemings out, and Jalen Johnson still listed with an unknown status, Atlanta should be able to go on the road and control this one. The roster advantage is there.
Dyson Daniels should be able to shut down whichever ball handler he draws. Nickeil Alexander-Walker ought to have room to make his mark on both ends.
Onyeka Okongwu should be the best center on the floor by a wide margin. And CJ McCollum plus Aaron Wiggins should see little resistance from Indiana’s defense.
One interesting wrinkle is what Quin Snyder does in the frontcourt. When Landale left early in the loss to the Pelicans, Asa Newell stepped in as the big man rather than Ejiofor, which was a change from what Snyder had done in the preseason. Against a depleted Pacers group, it would not be a surprise to see Snyder give Ejiofor a chance tonight and find out whether the rookie can handle center minutes.
If Ejiofor can defend, knock down open threes, and hold his own, it would at least give him a path toward earning a spot in the regular rotation. Nobody is saying he needs to look like an All-Star, but this is the kind of game where Atlanta can afford to test him.
The other spot worth watching is point guard. The Hawks’ depth there is thin, and Kingston Flemings is the only true point guard on the roster, but he will miss tonight because of a suspension. McCollum, Wiggins, Daniels, and Alexander-Walker all help move the ball, but none of them are natural point guards.
That suspension could open the door for RayJ Dennis, one of Atlanta’s two-way players, to get some run and show he can organize the offense. The expectation is that the sample will be small, but Dennis should be able to come in and score a little against this Pacers team.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Hawks Forced Into Another Lineup Shakeup With Frontcourt Suddenly Thin
The Hawks are headed into tonights matchup with Indiana having to adjust on the fly again, this time with Jalen Johnson ruled out and the frontcourt depth taking another hit. Atlanta already had a short list of unavailable players, and the absence of Johnson adds more pressure to a rotation that has been forced to absorb a steady stream of lineup changes.
Atlanta did release its starting lineup, and the reshuffle is already showing up there as the Hawks try to piece together answers against a Pacers team dealing with its own injury issues. With both sides missing key contributors, this one has turned into a test of depth and flexibility before the opening tip, and Atlantas latest look will be worth watching to see how it holds up. [Read more 🡒]