Hawks vs Knicks: Atlanta's Starting Five Announced

Atlanta is set for their second meeting of the season with the Knicks tonight
Hawks vs Knicks: Atlanta's Starting Five Announced
Hawks vs Knicks: Atlanta's Starting Five Announced /

After Trae Young was ruled in this morning, there was not any doubt about what the starting lineup would look like for Atlanta (even if he was out there was no doubt about it really). 

Young is back in the starting lineup for the Hawks tonight alongside Dejounte Murray, De'Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, and Clint Capela. 

With RJ Barrett out tonight, the Knicks are going with Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, Josh Hart, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson. 

The key battle tonight in this game is going to be between the Hawks' offense and the Knicks' defense. Atlanta has one of the top offenses in the NBA, but they are going to run into one of the NBA's best defenses tonight and one of the top rebounding teams. 

Atlanta is fourth in the NBA in PPG (120.9), 13th in field goal percentage, 18th in three-point field goal percentage, 9th in rebounding, sixth in steals per game, and 22nd in turnovers per game. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 5th in points per 100 possessions, 12th in effective field goal percentage, 4th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 3rd in free throw rate. If Young does not play, it will be up to Dejounte Murray to be able to lead the offense again and he will need help from the supporting cast that includes Bogdanovic, Hunter, and Johnson. Capela and Johnson have helped the Hawks become one of the top rebounding teams in the NBA, but they will have their hands full with Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle.

Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray helps lead one of the NBA's best offenses / Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports

New York is a really good defensive team. They play at a slow pace on offense which limits the amount of possessions you'll get and they don't turn the ball over. Couple that with good defense and you have a tough team to beat. The Knicks are 2nd in PPG allowed this season, 16th in field goal percentage allowed, and 17th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, New York is 4th in points per 100 possessions allowed and 16th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

The tip-off is at 7:30 tonight. 

Hawks vs Knicks: RJ Barrett's Status for Tonight's Game Revealed

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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