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Atlanta Hawks at Los Angeles Lakers Game Day Preview

The Lakers (20-19) host the Hawks (17-20).

Pat Benson

© Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
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Preview

Ever since the Lakers left the frigid midwest for sunny Southern California in 1960, Los Angeles has become hallowed ground for basketball. Post relocation, the team has won 12 titles while some of the greatest players of all time suited up in purple and gold.

Few people buy into Lakers lore more than me. But even I spent most of the past six months pointing and laughing at their roster construction. General Manager Rob Pelinka and LeGM built the sickest NBA 2K12 team imaginable. Unfortunately for the Lake Show, it doesn't translate well in 2022.

Almost halfway through the season, and the Lakers are near .500 and ranked sixth in the Western Conference. Their only bright spot this season has been LeBron James. The 37-year-old averages 28.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. 'King James' is actively rewriting the history books and challenging all of our settled science about aging.

The Lakers have struggled mightily to cope with injuries while acclimating to a new roster and demanding playstyle. While Anthony Davis is sidelined with a knee injury, Russel Westbrook is pushing the team to the second-highest pace in the league. The Lakers can score plenty of points, but lack efficiency. They are bottom-ten in net rating and their shot charts make analytics-nerds rage-quit.

Meanwhile, the Hawks sit well below .500 and are outside of the playoff picture. Yes, they've been dealt a bad hand with injuries and illness, but that doesn't excuse all of the losses. Even General Manager Travis Schlenk ripped the team in a radio interview earlier this week.

One of the few highlights of this disappointing season has been Trae Young. Despite rule changes targeting him, the point guard is putting together an All-NBA campaign. 'Ice Trae' averages 28.4 points and 9.5 assists per game, which is top-three in the NBA in both categories.

Luckily for the Hawks, help is on the way. Clint Capela has officially returned to form and is dominating the paint with 12 points and 13 rebounds per game. Even better, almost all of their 13 players in NBA Health & Safety Protocols have been cleared to play. Guys and girls, there is no other way to put this. It's time for another late-season playoff push in Atlanta.

Injury Report

The Lakers are still without Anthony Davis (knee) and Kendrick Nunn (Health & Safety Protocols). As of this morning, LeBron James (abdomen) is listed as probable.

The Hawks are still without Cameron Hill, Gorgui Dieng, and Chris Clemons who are in the NBA Health & Safety Protocols. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic, John Collins, Jalen Johnson are all listed as questionable to what the Hawks are calling "return to competition reconditioning).

Cam Reddish (right ankle soreness) is probable. Trae Young (low back contusion) is questionable. De'Andre Hunter (right wrist) and Solomon Hill (right hamstring) remain out.

Odds

SI Sportsbook lists the Lakers as 3-point favorites, with the point total placed at 226.5. It's hard to glean much information on this spread. The Lakers are ranked 27th in the league against the spread, while the Hawks are ranked 28th. Meanwhile, the Lakers have hit the over 6th most, and the Hawks have nailed the over 7th most. It's safe to assume that we will get a competitive, high-scoring affair in Tinsel Town. 

There should be no love-loss between these two teams after what transpired last March. As always, we will be live-tweeting the action, and wrapping up the game later tonight. Thank you for your support of Sports Illustrated's AllHawks.com.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the Atlanta Hawks for Sports Illustrated's All Hawks. He has covered the NBA for several years and is the author of "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)".

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