Hawks vs Pistons: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups
Who's ready for some NBA In-Season Tournament Action?
Atlanta travels to Detroit today to play the Pistons in what will be the first game of the In-Season Tournament for the Hawks. Atlanta had two days off since losing to the Miami Heat on Saturday night and they will be looking to bounce back from that loss. The Hawks have lost two of their last three games since being on a four-game winning streak, but they hope to move to 6-4 with a win against a bad and banged-up Pistons team.
Detroit started the season 2-1 but has lost eight in a row and has had a hard time having a fully healthy team. Monty Williams was hired as the head coach in Detroit after being fired from Phoenix and the hope is he can turn around a franchise that has not had much success in the last 15 years.
Injury Reports
Hawks point guard Trae Young (personal reasons) was a new addition to the injury report yesterday and was listed as questionable. The others that were listed on the injury report were rookie guard Kobe Bufkin and forward Mouhamed Gueye.
Young posted on social media that he welcomed the birth of his second child yesterday.
Sunday, the Hawks provided an update on the injury status of both Bufkin and Gueye:
"Guard Kobe Bufkin underwent an X-ray and medical review yesterday on his left thumb, which he fractured on Nov. 2. He will continue to be reviewed weekly and his rehabilitation will progress based on his healing. His return to play timeline is 8-to-10 weeks from the date of injury.
Forward Mouhamed Gueye, who has missed the last two games with a right lower back strain, underwent an MRI yesterday at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex. The MRI revealed a right low back stress fracture. He will be re-evaluated in four weeks and his status will be updated as appropriate."
Jalen Duren, Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Harris, Monte Morris, and Isaiah Livers are all going to be out. Duren is unquestionably the biggest loss for the Pistons in this game as he is off to a great start to the year and is their leading rebounder, averaging 10.6 rebounds per game.
Game Preview
Dejounte Murray will have to carry the offense if Trae Young does not play
Arena. Mandatory Credit:
This is an interesting matchup on paper if Young sits. The Pistons are not a good team, but they are not as bad as they have been in recent seasons and have the young talent to put up a fight.
Atlanta comes into the game 4th in PPG (120.3) but had a poor showing last game against the Heat. Now, there is a big difference between Miami and Detroit, but hopefully, Atlanta will come out stronger on that end of the floor. The Hawks are 15th in field goal percentage, 18th in three-point percentage, 9th in rebounding, and 23rd in turnovers. Turnovers and a slow start in the first quarter were the difference makers for the game against Miami so that needs to be a focus for Atlanta in this game.
Two areas where Atlanta has excelled so far this season are offensive rebounding and free throw rate. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is fourth in offensive rebounding percentage and third in free throw rate. The Hawks are also 6th in points per 100 possessions and 13th in effective field goal percentage.
Detroit is an average defense so far this season. They are 19th in PPG allowed, 9th in field goal percentage allowed, 13th in three-point percentage allowed, 20th in points per 100 possession allowed, 6th in effective field goal percentage allowed, but only 29th in turnover percentage. They don't force many turnovers but are pretty good at limiting opposing offenses.
The other end of the court is going to be an interesting matchup. The Pistons have not exactly been a great offense so far this season, but Atlanta has been a below-average defense, especially at the beginning of games.
The Pistons are 24th in the NBA in PPG (109.7), 16th in field goal percentage (46.2%), 12th in three-point percentage, and 10th in rebounding. Like Atlanta, Detroit has also struggled with turnovers, ranking 29th in the NBA in turnovers per game. The advanced numbers are not great for Detroit either. The Pistons are 25th in points per 100 possessions, 23rd in effective field goal percentage, and 29th in turnover percentage.
Atlanta usually gets better on defense as the game goes on, but slow starts have plagued this team. Atlanta is 23rd in PPG allowed, 23rd in field goal percentage allowed, and 19th in three-point field goal percentage allowed. The advanced numbers on Cleaning Glass paint a better picture. The Hawks are 16th in points per 100 possessions allowed, 21st in effective field goal percentage allowed, and 14th in turnover percentage caused.
Viewing and Betting Information
Tip-off time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, Bally Sports Southeast
Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be favorites tonight, as they are currently 4.5 point favorites according to the latest odds from the SI Sportsbook and the over/under is set at 230.5
Projected Starting Lineups
Hawks:
G- Trae Young
G- Dejounte Murray
F- De'Andre Hunter
F- Jalen Johnson
C- Clint Capela
I will project Trae Young in until he is ruled out. If Young is ruled out, I think Bogdan Bogdanovic will likely draw the start in place of Young.
Pistons:
G- Cade Cunningham
G- Killian Hayes
F- Ausar Thompson
F- Isaiah Stewart
C- Marvin Bagley II
Bagley has gotten the start at center in games where Duren did not play and that should continue here barring any big changes.
Hawks Player to Watch- Dejounte Murray
Murray is off to a strong start to the season and in my opinion, has been the most consistent player on Atlanta this season. If Young does not play tonight, it will be up to Murray to lead the offense and Murray is likely to guard Cunningham tonight.
Detroit Player to Watch- Cade Cunningham
Cunningham is having a solid start to his season after missing all of last year. He is currently averaging 22.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 6.9 APG and has the ability to take over the game on offense. The former No. 1 overall pick is the franchise player in Detroit and has the ability to have a huge impact in tonight's game.
Prediction:
The Hawks are the better team with or without Young and I think they find a way to win on the road. Atlanta has to be better at the start of the game (they are one of the worst first-quarter teams in the NBA), and not turn the ball over and play focused defense through the entire game. Those three things have plagued this team so far this season, but I think they play a good all-around game tonight.
Final Score: Hawks 118, Pistons 110
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