Hawks vs Blazers: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups For Tonight's Game

After a quality win against the Bucks, can the Hawks take care of a shorthanded Blazers team tonight?

Nov 17, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) defends Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) in the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images / Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks are back in action against the Portland Trail Blazers. Quietly, tonight is a big game for the Hawks - it's their first opportunity to eclipse the 36 wins they got in 2023-24. Although this season has not entirely gone to plan, it's inarguable that the Hawks are in a stronger position both in the present and long-term. At this time last season, Trae Young was dealing with a finger injury and the team had little depth to speak of. It was entirely up to Dejounte Murray and DeAndre Hunter to carry the Hawks on most nights. Today, the Hawks are a deeper and younger team. Young is in the lineup, Onyeka Okongwu has taken hold of the starting center job, the rotation has real pieces in Georges Niang and Caris LeVert while young wings Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels have made themselves staples of the starting lineup.

Speaking of Risacher and Daniels, both were excellent against the Bucks in Atlanta's game. Risacher had 36 points and six rebounds on 5-11 shooting from deep and 72 TS%. Daniels had 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 10-15 shooting from the field. They absolutely roasted the Bucks' perimeter defense all night long while Young racked up a staggering 19 assists and scored 19 points of his own. Okongwu held his own against a formidable rim protector in Brook Lopez by recording a 13 point, 10 rebound double-double. It is true that the Bucks were without Damian Lillard, but it's still a great win for Atlanta considering how comprehensively they blew Milwaukee off the floor.

On paper, they're facing a much weaker matchup tonight against the Blazers. In their last eight games, they've gone exactly .500 and lost four straight. Still, they're 16th in net rating, which is higher than playoff teams like the Knicks and Grizzlies. Games that are reminiscent of Atlanta's poor showing against the Nets will spell trouble for the Hawks down this crucial stretch. They cannot afford to take this Blazers team unseriously, especially given that they have a one-game lead over the Magic for the top seed in the play-in tournament.

Game Preview

Coming into tonight's game, the Hawks are 5th in the NBA in PPG, 14th in FG%, 15th in 3PA, 18th in 3P%, 3rd in FTA, 26th in turnovers, and 13th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 16th in points per 100 possessions, 17th in effective field goal percentage, 21st in turnover percentage, 12th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 9th in free throw rate.

Currently, the Hawks rank 27th in PPG allowed, 29th in field goal percentage allowed, 14th in three-point attempts allowed, and 28th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 17th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

The Blazers create tons of second-chance points, but don't excel at much else. They're 22nd in points per game, 25th in FG%, 12th in 3PA, 25th in 3P%, 13th in FTA, 29th in turnovers, and 15th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Portland is 23rd in points per 100 possessions, 23rd in effective field goal percentage, 29th in turnover percentage, 3rd in offensive rebounding percentage, and 20th in free throw rate.

Portland has a relatively middling defense, but they are somewhat stronger on the perimeter. They are 16th in PPG allowed, 23rd in field goal percentage allowed, 3rd in three-point attempts allowed, and 21st in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Portland is 18th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 19th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Although Portland is only 15th in rebounds per game, they've been 10th in that same category since the trade deadline and the advanced metrics says they are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in basketball. That's largely due to Blazers big man Donovan Clingan. He is averaging a staggering 14.2 rebounds per 36 minutes and 5.8 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes. For some reference, that mark would lead the NBA this year. At 7'2, he's also a formidable defensive anchor in the paint. He has a block percentage of 7.9%, which would lead the NBA if he was eligible. He's played behind DeAndre Ayton for most of the season, but he'll get a bigger opportunity tonight because Ayton is out. Okongwu is going to have his work cut out for him when trying to battle Clingan on the boards and score over him in the paint. He isn't the smoothest defender in space, which is a possible area for fast wings like Risacher and Daniels to exploit.

It isn't just Clingan on defense either. Originally a throw-away in the deal that sent Jusuf Nurkic to the Suns, Toumani Camara has blossomed into an excellent player since arriving in Portland. He's a formidable isolation defender who can match up with anyone from Young to Nikola Jokic. Furthermore, he's been a better player on offense as of late. In his last 10 games, he's averaging 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals on 49/41/50% shooting splits. Since the All-Star break, he's shooting 41.5% from deep on 5.6 attempts per game. I'd expect him to match up against Young, Risacher and Niang tonight as the Blazers attempt to shut down the Hawks' three-point shooting.

Young is coming off one of his best playmaking games of the season, dishing out 19 assists to only two turnovers. He'll have to be careful with the ball against a Portland team that has tons of length and athleticism to close off passing lanes. Even though he's always killed the Blazers throughout his career, averaging 31 points and 10.7 assists in his games against Portland, Young had six turnovers the last time the Hawks squared off with Portland. It was a narrow 114-110 win for Portland, so those turnovers made a difference in the ultimate result.

Although some regression is to be expected from his stellar performance against the Bucks, I think this is a very interesting matchup to track for Zaccharie Risacher. He'll likely draw Camara, Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe as defensive matchups during the game. Those are all players who can keep up with Risacher, so out-running a old Bucks team and showing a quick trigger may not be as effective against the Blazers.

For the Hawks defense, it is very encouraging to see that the Blazers are prone to turnovers. They're the second-worst team in the NBA when it comes to turnovers and that's largely a function of their ball-handlers not having the tightest handles. That's great news for Dyson Daniels, who has continued to make a case for DPOY. He racked up five steals in the Bucks game and will likely have a chance to keep that going against the Blazers.

Injury Report

Trae Young (right Achilles tendinitis) is probable while Jalen Johnson, Clint Capela, Larry Nance, Kobe Bufkin, and Keaton Wallace are out.

For Portland, DeAndre Ayton, Robert Williams, Bryce McGowens and Scoot Henderson are all out for tonight's game. Jerami Grant is doubtful while Anfernee Simons is questionable.

Odds

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, the Hawks are 5 point favorites against the Blazers tonight and the total is set at 237.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER. 

Projected starting lineups

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Zaccharie Risacher

F - Mouhamed Gueye

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Blazers

G - Anfernee Simons

G - Shaedon Sharpe

F - Deni Avdija

F - Toumani Camara

C- Donovan Clingan

Additional Links

Three Big Takeaways From Atlanta's 145-124 Win Over Milwaukee

DPOY? Hawks Guard Dyson Daniels Continues to Make His Case By Setting the Hawks Single-Season Steals Record

Atlanta Hawks Superstar Trae Young Named Assistant General Manager For Oklahoma Sooners Basketball