Atlanta Hawks vs. Washington Wizards Scouting Report
Background
On a sultry summer night, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski preempted the announcement of the first selection of the 2021 NBA Draft. The Washington Wizards took part in a five-team trade that sent Russell Westbrook (and multiple draft picks) to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrel, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Additionally, they netted Spencer Dinwiddie from the Brooklyn Nets and Aaron Holiday from the Indiana Pacers.
Bradley Beal finally has a legitimate supporting cast and the proof is in the pudding. The Wizards are 3-1 and have a well-rounded offense that has multiple players who can burn you on any given night. Not to mention the Wizards are top-ten in defensive rating (103.4).
The Southeast Division suddenly became competitive from top to bottom. Despite the new additions, the Atlanta Hawks remain the team to beat in the division. They are 3-1 and have been winning games thanks to their defense which is third-best in defensive rating (98.0). The rest of the Eastern Conference is going to be in trouble when the Hawks find their rhythm on offense.
Outlook
Both teams played last night and are operating on little rest (especially the Hawks who arrived in D.C. around 3 a.m.) To further complicate matters, each squad is dealing with injuries.
Thomas Bryant (left knee injury), Anthony Gill (right calf strain) Rui Hachimura (away from team), and Cassius Winston (left hamstring) are all out for the Wizards tonight. As of this morning, Raul Neto (left shoulder) is questionable.
Meanwhile, the Hawks are yet to release an official injury report. However, Lou Williams (right ankle soreness) missed last night and of course, Onyeka Okongwu (right shoulder surgery rehabilitation) is out until December at the earliest. I would not be surprised if other Hawks players grabbed some rest of the second night of a back-to-back.
SI Sportsbook has the Hawks as 2.5-point favorites. With the team struggling on offense and working on little rest, this could be the recipe for disaster. It's encouraging that the Hawks are winning games with their defense, but they need more offensive production from their role players.
Final Thoughts
The Hawks are the better team, but they have not put together a complete game since opening night. It's going to be tough for them to do that on almost no sleep. But if I have learned one thing, it's to never count out this scrappy young roster. Even if their shooting is off, and they fall behind early in the game, they do not give up. Tip off is at 7:00 p.m. (EST) tonight. Stay tuned into AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis for your Atlanta Hawks.
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