Hawks vs Heat: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups For Tonight's Preseason Matchup

Atlanta faces Miami tonight for their third preseason game

Oct 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) reacts after an offensive foul against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

After a night off, the Atlanta Hawks are back in action tonight for their third preseason game, This time though, they are not at home and are going on the road for the first time.

Their opponent is the Miami Heat, a team the Hawks hope to compete with this season for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Miami is 2-1 this season and like the Hawks, it has been playing its starters in the preseason. Is that going to continue tonight? Atlanta has their final preseason game tomorrow night in Oklahoma City, so it would not be surprising to see the Hawks either rest guys or play them fewer minutes tonight. The season opener vs the Brooklyn Nets is one week away.

Keep in mind that Miami played San Antonio last night and I would not be surprised if a lot of Heat players did not play tonight on a preseason back-to-back. Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic, and Bam Adebayo started last night and played 24 minutes each.

So let's give a small preview for tonight's game.

Game Preview

The Hawks have played two games this preseason and have two very different results. The first game could not have gone better, with the Hawks stars playing well, the young players making impressions, and No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher having a great debut. In Monday's game, it was a really tough night on offense, showing some potential weaknesses on that end of the floor.

Atlanta used multiple starting lineups last preseason, but they have gone with the same one in both games. Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, De'Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, and Clint Capela have been the first five on the floor for Quin Snyder's team, but Hunter is the only player in this group who did not play in the second half. Could the Hawks give Risacher a start tonight with that group? Possibly, but the most important takeaways from that on Monday night were that Snyder used the same starters, even with Bogdan Bogdanovic available.

Young played 26 minutes on Monday, scoring 10 points and dishing out nine assists as well. He also had nine turnovers, but said after the game that in the preseason, he is just worried about trying to get guys involved.

If Young were not to play, that would likely mean that Kobe Bufkin would get the start. Bufkin had a solid first game against Indiana, but was much shakier on Monday, shooting 2-13 from the field. Finding a stable backup point guard to run the offense when Young is out is vital for the Hawks and Bufkin is going to be a big part of that.

Daniels flashed his elite perimeter defense in the game against the 76ers, but he also had offensive struggles. Daniels was 3-9 from the field and 1-5 from three, but he is sure to have ups and downs this season on that end. I think it has been a good preseason for him and should be a starter this season alongside Young.

One guy that struggled on Monday night that I am not worried about is Bogdan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic shot 2-11 from the field and 2-8 from three in his first preseason action of the year. He sat out the first preseason game last week and may do so again in one of these last two games.

One thing to watch tonight is seeing what happens at the small forward position tonight. If Hunter and Risacher are both available, who starts? I know starting lineups can be talked about too much, but Risacher has outplayed Hunter by a big margin in two games this preseason. Even though it was not as good as his first game, Risacher still finished with 14 points and eight rebounds on Monday and has looked very comfortable so far for a young rookie playing his first NBA minutes.

Jalen Johnson had a dominant first game, but did not have the same all-around impact in the second game. He played nearly 30 minutes on Monday (most on the team).

Clint Capela and Larry Nance have been the two centers with Onyeka Okongwu out for the first two games. Nance made a big impact on the glass Monday night, especially on the offenisve glass, pulling in seven offensive boards. If either guy is out tonight, expect Mouhamed Gueye to play more. Gueye has not played a lot of minutes in the preseason so far.

Vit Krejci has played well this preseason and shot 3-3 from the field on Monday night, including 2-2 from three. Krejci has been making the case for more minutes and I think the Hawks are going to have to play him more due to shooting and size. If any of the Hawks starters are out (or Bogdanovic), Krejci will likely see a lot of minutes.

David Roddy and Garrison Matthews also saw minutes in both games and whether anyone on the Hawks rests tonight or not, they will see some tonight.

Dominick Barlow was out on Monday and Keaton Wallace did not play.

It is hard to break down the Heat because they played last night and I would assume that they sit some players. Keep an eye on who is in and out for the Heat.

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: Kaseya Arena, Miami, FL

Where to Watch: Bally Sports Southeast

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be favorites tonight, as they are currently 5.5 point favorites on the road according to the latest odds from the Fanduel Sportsbook and the over/under is set at 219.5.

Projected Starting Lineups (Note: It is the preseason and the starting lineup could be anything. I would not be surprised if some guys sit for rest on either team, especially Miami, who played the Spurs last night):

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G-Dyson Daniels

F- De'Andre Hunter

F- Jalen Johnson

C- Clint Capela

Heat:

I don't think these guys play tonight, but until they are ruled out, I will project them in.

G-Terry Rozier

G- Tyler Herro

F- Jimmy Butler

F- Nikola Jovic

C-Bam Adebayo

Additional Links:

Kaiser Permanente Georgia Announces New Partnership With Atlanta Hawks

Despite the Loss, Zaccharie Risacher Showed He Isn't A One-Off Story

Gucci Mane to Perform at Halftime of Atlanta Hawks Season Opener vs the Brooklyn Nets Next Wednesday