2025 NBA Play-In Tournament: Three Most Important Players For Atlanta in Tomorrow's Matchup With Orlando

The NBA regular season is now in the rearview mirror and the the stakes are about to be raised in the league with the play-in tournament and playoff matchups. The first play-in tournament matchup is going to be on Tuesday night between the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic. The winner of this game will clinch a spot in the playoffs as the No. 7 seed and will face the defending champion Boston Celtics in the first round. The two teams split the season series 2-2 this year, but one of them was yesterdays game in which Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongu, Caris LeVert, and Georges Niang all sat. The Magic have been a tough matchup for the Hawks this season, but Atlanta can win this game.

Which players will be most important in making that happen?

1. Trae Young

It is no secret that Trae Young is the guy that makes the Hawks go, especially with Jalen Johnson sidelined for the rest of the season. If Young plays poorly, it is hard to see the Hawks having much of a path to win this game, but it is not impossible. Still, Young is going to have a chance to have a big game due to Orlando missing their best perimeter defender, Jalen Suggs. In two of the three games against Orlando this year, Young scored 38 points in one game and 28 points in the other. The supporting cast needs to be there, but the Hawks without Johnson on the team will only go as far as Young can take them.

2. Zaccharie Risacher

This is a lot to put on a rookie, but given their injuries, the Hawks need a big game from Zaccharie Risacher on Tuesday. He has been ineffective in the first three matchups against Orlando, but his three-point shooting can change the game. Risacher is critical to Atlanta's three-point shooting and spacing and unless Orlando has a horrific game on offense (always possible), Atlanta needs scoring and shooting from Risacher in this game if they want to advance to the playoffs.

3. Caris LeVert

LeVert can be the Hawks' top scorer off the bench, but he has struggled in two of his three matchups against Orlando since he was acquired from the Cavaliers. He scored 13 in the last game, with nine of those coming in the first quarter, 13 in the game before, and 18 points in the other game. LeVert is not only a scorer for the Hawks, but he can handle the ball when other teams are pressuring Trae Young. LeVert has to be a playmaker and scorer for the Hawks tomorrow night if they want to face the Celtics on Sunday and clinch a spot in the playoffs.

Additional Links

NBA Play-In Tournament: Three Keys to Victory for Atlanta Against Orlando On Tuesday

2025 NBA Play-In Tournament: Game Times, Schedule, and Matchups Finalized

Trae Young Selected As The Winner of The 2024-2025 Sekou Smith Award