Atlanta Hawks Announce Starting Lineup For Tonight's Matchup With the Cavs

Can Atlanta get their fourth straight win when they face the Cavaliers tonight?
Atlanta Hawks Announce Starting Lineup For Tonight's Matchup With the Cavs
Atlanta Hawks Announce Starting Lineup For Tonight's Matchup With the Cavs /
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When Trae Young was ruled to be available to play, it was pretty easy to figure out the Hawks starting lineup.

Young, Dejounte Murray, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson, and Clint Capela will be the first five on the floor for the Hawks. 

Cleveland will be starting Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Jarrett Allen are starting for the Cavs. 

Cleveland is going to be without Evan Mobley, who is averaging 16 PPG and 10 RPG this season. Point guard Darius Garland is also out tonight and forward Caris LeVert is as well. Three of Cleveland's most important players are out, so even with the Hawks on a back-to-back, they have a chance to win.

The Cavs are going to be reliant on Mitchell on the offensive end tonight and he comes into the game averaging 28.2 PPG, one of the top scorers in the NBA. Center Jarrett Allen has been playing exceptionally this season and will be a tough task for Clint Capela to guard tonight.

When you look at the numbers on offense for the Cavs, nothing blows you away. They are 20th in PPG, 15th in field goal percentage, 12th in three-point attempts, 26th in three-point percentage, 26th in free throw rate, 6th in rebounding, and 17th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Cavs are 19th in points per 100 possessions, 17th in effective field goal percentage, 19th in turnover percentage, 10th in offensive rebounding, and 21st in free throw rate. They are not a great shooting team, but they get second-chance opportunities because of Allen's rebounding and Mitchell can go for 35-40 points on any given night.

Dejounte Murray vs the 76ers
Dejounte Murray vs the 76ers / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the numbers for the Cav's offense, the Hawks's defense is one of the worst in the NBA and Cleveland should be able to find a way to get points. Atlanta is 27th in PPG allowed, 28th in field goal percentage allowed, 17th in three-point attempts allowed, and 25th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 26th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 29th in effective field goal percentage allowed. 

Trae Young's Status Revealed For Tonight's Game vs the Cavs

Atlanta is 4th in PPG, 20th in field goal percentage, 6th in three-point attempts, 17th in three-point percentage, 6th in free throw attempts, 8th in rebounding, and 20th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 11th in points per 100 possessions, 18th in effective field goal percentage, 16th in turnover percentage, 4th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 8th in free throw rate.

The numbers for the Cleveland defense look very good. They are 2nd in PPG allowed, 5th in field goal percentage allowed, 8th in three-point attempts allowed, and 8th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Cleveland is 2nd in points allowed per 100 possessions and 6th in effective field goal percentage allowed. While Mobley is out, Allen and Okoro are strong defenders.

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Jackson Caudell
JACKSON CAUDELL

Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell