Hawks vs 76ers: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups
The NBA In-Season Tournament resumes tonight and it will be the first tournament game in State Farm Arena. The Hawks are going to be welcoming in the Philadelphia 76ers tonight and Atlanta will be looking to bounce back from their loss to the Knicks on Wednesday night.
After winning eight in a row, the 76ers are coming off of back-to-back losses. They lost to the Pacers and then on Monday night, lost a clash with the Boston Celtics. Since the James Harden trade, this team has looked like one of the best teams in the NBA, and both Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are playing at an MVP-caliber level.
The big news for tonight is the status of Joel Embiid. Embiid is questionable on the injury report and if he does not play, that will of course be a huge loss for Philadelphia.
Let's preview tonight's game in Atlanta.
Game Preview
This is going to be a matchup of two of the top offenses in the NBA and three of the best guards. Atlanta is 3rd in the NBA in points per game, 9th in field goal percentage, 16th in three-point percentage, 12th in rebounding, but 23rd in turnovers. Atlanta was one of the top rebounding teams in the league, but a poor performance against the Knicks pushed their numbers down.
Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 5th in points per 100 possessions, 7th in effective field goal percentage, 6th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 2nd in free throw rate. The Hawks are one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to turnovers, ranking 21st in turnover rate.
If Atlanta can get Trae Young to start shooting the ball like he normally does, the offense can be even better than it is now.
Trae Young has yet to start shooting the ball well this season
One problem that the Hawks have had is the shooting of point guard Trae Young. That has been a taking point around the NBA and Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes said it is the most surprising issue for the Hawks so far this season:
"As many expected, head coach Quin Snyder's imprint is all over the Atlanta Hawks' offense following a full offseason to implement his principles. Atlanta is throwing 25 more passes per game, and its scoring efficiency on cuts (off-ball movement is a Snyder staple) is also up significantly. That extra body and ball movement is helping democratize the team's attack while also, theoretically, generating cleaner looks for everyone on the roster.
Trae Young has yet to benefit.
Though the Hawks star guard has been productive in the early going, and though his increased movement away from the ball bodes well for his team's success in the long run, he just isn't hitting shots. On pace to post the lowest field-goal and three-point percentages of his career, the 25-year-old simply hasn't found his stroke yet—and that's despite getting more wide-open three-point attempts per game than last year.
Young is bound to start hitting his shots, and it helps that many of Atlanta's supporting pieces—Dejounte Murray and Jalen Johnson, for example—are putting up career-best numbers. But it remains a surprise that the Hawks' best offensive player is struggling to heat up in better scoring conditions than he's ever had."
Murray has been able to be one of the best guards in the NBA this season and adding Jalen Johnson to the start lineup has been beneficial for defense and rebounding. When Young starts performing at his All-NBA level, this offense could be among the NBA's very best.
The defense for the 76ers has been pretty solid this season. They are 13th in PPG allowed, 8th in field goal percentage allowed, and 14th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Philadelphia is 10th in points per 100 possessions allowed and 10th in effective field goal percentage allowed. It is not the elite-level defense they have had in the past.
Despite losing Harden, Philadelphia has been an elite offensive team. They are fourth in points per game, 5th in field goal percentage, 13th in three-point percentage, 8th in rebounding, and 13th in steals. Per Cleaning the Glass, the 76ers are fourth in points per 100 possessions, 10th in effective field goal percentage, 6th in turnover percentage, and 11th in offensive rebounding rate.
Joel Embiid is having another MVP-type season
Embiid is having another fantastic season. He is averaging 31.9 PPG, 11.5 RPG, and 5.8 APG. Maxey has been fantastic as well, averaging 27.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 6.7 APG. He has taken on a bigger offensive responsibility with Harden gone and he has played fantastic.
Tobias Harris has been underrated to start the year on both ends of the floor. He is averaging 19.5 PPG and 6.6 RPG and has been a better defender than usual.
The Hawks have a big advantage on the bench. Bogdan Bogdanovic is having a great season and Onyeka Okongwu and Saddiq Bey provide energy. Bey had a great game against the Knicks on Wednesday.
Viewing and Betting Information
Tip-off time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, Bally Sports Southeast
Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks are currently favorites tonight, as they are currently 1.5 point favorites according to the latest odds from the SI Sportsbook and the over/under is set at 236.5.
Injury Report
Kelly Oubre and Nic Batum are both out for the 76ers and Embiid is questionable. If Embiid is not able to go, that will be a huge blow to Philadelphia (duh) and Maxey will have to shoulder the offense. With the Hawks being favored by 1.5 points, it makes me wonder if Embiid will play because Atlanta should not be favored, even at home, if Philadelphia has Embiid.
Ahead of the game tomorrow, Atlanta released its injury report and there is nothing new there. After coming back for yesterday's game, Trae Young is not on the injury report for tomorrow's game against Philadelphia. The only two players on there are rookies Kobe Bufkin and Mouhamed Gueye.
Both players have been on the injury report and this past Sunday, Atlanta had a more detailed report on the two players:
"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."
Tobias Harris is having an underrated season for the 76ers
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Starting Lineups
Hawks:
G- Trae Young
G- Dejounte Murray
F- De'Andre Hunter
F- Jalen Johnson
C- Clint Capela
76ers
G- Tyrese Maxey
G- De'Anthony Melton
F- Tobias Harris
F- Robert Covington
C- Joel Embiid
If Embiid does not play, Patrick Reed might get the start in his place, but it is a big question mark. Keep on eye on Embiid's status.
Player to watch on the Hawks- Dejounte Murray
Murray has been the Hawks's best player this season on offense and has been a good defender too. He is going to be tasked with slowing down Tyrese Maxey tonight and that is going to be a huge matchup.
Player to watch on the 76ers- Tobias Harris
If Embiid does not play, he will become the No. 2 option on Philadelphia. If Embiid does play, the Hawks have to ensure that Harris does not have a big game. Maxey and Embiid are going to be effective, but the Hawks have to limit the rest of the team and not let them flourish.
Prediction
If Embiid does play, I think this is a toss-up game and if he does not, I like the Hawks's chances. I think this is going to be a high-scoring game and Atlanta will find a way to bounce back and win.
Final Score: Hawks 128, 76ers 122
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