Starting Lineups: Hawks vs Clippers
The Hawks are on the road tonight vs the Clippers and although the Hawks have several players out for injury, it was not hard to figure out their starting lineup for tonight.
Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Vit Krejci, Jalen Johnson, and Clint Capela are the first five on the floor for the Hawks.
James Harden, Terrance Mann, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Ivica Zubac are the starters for the Clippers tonight.
he Hawks offense should get a boost tonight with the return of Bogdan Bogdanovic, who missed the game vs Utah with an illness. Jalen Johnson was able to return last game and made an impact, but not a big enough one to be able to beat Utah.
Dejounte Murray has had some big games in Trae Young's absence and Atlanta might need another one tonight. Murray had 41 points in a win over Memphis, 40 in the loss to Portland, and 33 in the loss to Utah on Friday. They have not been the most efficient games, but Murray is the clear best player and shot creator on Atlanta. He will also likely be tasked with guarding James Harden tonight, if Hardnen is cleared to play.
Bogdanovic has not been playing well in Young's absence and the Hawks really need him to turn that around. Atlanta has to face the Lakers and Suns after this and they won't have a chance in their upcoming games if Bogdanovic does not start shooting the ball better.
With Bey out, Vit Krejci should continue to start for the Hawks. He has shown the ability to be able to hit threes, but he has not scored much. The Hawks should not have to rely on Krejci for a lot of scoring, but I think he needs to be a threat if he is going to start.
Mar 15, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) drives against Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Jalen Johnson scored 26 points in the game vs Utah, but shot 8-23 from the field and 6-10 from the free throw line. Johnson will have to guard either Kawhi Leonard or Paul George tonight as well. I am looking for Johnson to have a more efficient game tonight.
Clint Capela has been playing well lately and has had at least 11 rebounds in four straight games. Capela could keep his double-double streak alive tonight against Ivica Zubac and the Clippers.
The bench for the Hawks is led by De'Andre Hunter, who is coming off of another terrific game. He scored 27 points on 10-17 shooting, including 5-7 from three. Hunter is going to play a big role tonight and he had one of his best games of the season when these two teams played in February. He scored 27 points on 10-12 shooting in just 19 minutes.
Trent Forrest, Garrison Matthews, and Bruno Fernando are the other players that will see time off the bench. The Hawks have not been getting a lot of production from them lately, but that might need to change tonight.
