Atlanta Hawks vs. Detroit Pistons Scouting Report

The Hawks look to bounce back after a surprising loss in Cleveland.

© Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Background

The Detroit Pistons have played two games this season. Both games were against the Chicago Bulls, and both resulted in low-scoring losses. Of course, we all know the Bulls improved this offseason with the addition of Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso. But the Pistons have shot an abysmal 39.3% from the field and 28% from three.

Pistons fans are anxiously awaiting the debut of rookie Cade Cunningham who is dealing with a right ankle injury. However, Coach Dwane Casey is not rushing Cunningham back anytime soon. To make matters worse, second-year player, Killian Hayes is off to a slow start this season. Hayes is averaging 1 point and 3 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.

#Pistons Dwane Casey on Killian Hayes: "We've got to continue to work with him and develop and build confidence, and not nitpick every bit of his game."

— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) October 21, 2021

Contrary to Hayes, second-year player, Saddiq Bey leads the Pistons in rebounds with 12.5 per game and is tied with Team USA forward Jerami Grant for leading scorer with 16.5 points per game. 

Look at Saddiq, so inspirational ✨@SaddiqBey | #Pistons pic.twitter.com/vNP8vPoTjx

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) October 21, 2021

On the other hand, the Hawks are 1-1. In their first game against the Dallas Mavericks, the team played with playoff intensity and clicked on all cylinders. However, in the second game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team looked uncomfortable and never found its rhythm. 

It should come as no surprise, Trae Young leads the Hawks with 21.5 points and 10.5 assists per game. Cam Reddish has provided a spark off the bench with 19.5 points per game. Meanwhile, John Collins, Clint Capela, and De'Andre Hunter are averaging approximately 11 points per game.

.@camreddish notched 19 off the bench against the Cavs. 👌 pic.twitter.com/oxPcZQ5PuG

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 24, 2021

Hawks fans are still waiting on sharpshooters Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter to break loose this season. It's only a matter of time until the two shooting guards find their grooves.

Outlook

Tonight the Pistons will be without three players. Cade Cunningham (right ankle sprain), Isaiah Livers (right foot), Chris Smith (knee surgery recovery). Currently, the Hawks are enjoying good health by their standards. Danilo Gallinari (left shoulder soreness) is questionable and Onyeka Okongwu (right shoulder injury recovery) remains out until December or January.

So far, the Pistons offense has been awful. They are second to last in the league on three-point attempts, and last in three-point percentage (not a great combination). But their defense has been one of the few bright spots. They limited the Bulls to 42.4% shooting on 85 field goal attempts per game. 

With that being said, it's unlikely that Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter will remain cold for much longer. As long as the Hawks remain aggressive on offense, and push the pace, they will avoid a repeat of Saturday's game against the Cavs.

According to SI Sportsbook, the Hawks are 10.5-point favorites. Even though the Hawks dropped the ball after being 8-point favorites against the Cavs, they are still a safe bet to at least win outright tonight. 

Final Thoughts

The Pistons are a gritty team that likes to slow the game down and limit easy looks in transition. Their tough defense and rebounding tenacity could cause problems for the Hawks. However, the Hawks have far more talent and should not drop two winnable games in a row. After a subpar performance on Saturday evening, it's safe to assume that the Hawks bounce back in a big way tonight in State Farm Arena.

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