Starting Lineups: Hawks vs Grizzlies
The Hawks are going to make a surprising starting lineup decision tonight with Jalen Johnson out.
Vit Krejci is going to get the start in his place and he will be alongside Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Saddiq Bey, and Clint Capela. I don't think Krejci will play heavy minutes, but Quin Snyder has elected to keep Hunter coming off the bench.
Memphis is starting Jordan Goodwin, John Konchar, Vince Williams, Santi Aldama, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Most of it is the fault of injuries, but the Grizzlies are near the bottom of every meaningful offensive stat. Memphis is 30th in PPG, 30th in field goal percentage, 5th in three-point attempts, 29th in three-point percentage, 23rd in free throw attempts, 21st in offensive rebounding, and 26th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Memphis is 30th in points per 100 possessions, 29th in effective field goal percentage, 28th in turnover percentage, 21st in offensive rebounding percentage, and 22nd in free throw rate.
Coming into this game, Atlanta ranks 5th in PPG, 21st in field goal percentage, 8th in three-point attempts, 21st in three-point percentage, 5th in free throw attempts, 1st in offensive rebounding, and 13th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 9th in points per 100 possessions, 18th in effective field goal percentage, 9th in turnover percentage, 5th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 8th in free throw rate.
The Hawks's offense has seen a dip in production without Trae Young on the floor, but that was to be expected. Dejounte Murray has been a consistent player in terms of scoring and getting assists, but it is going to be up to the players around him to step up and pick up the production.
Mar 6, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Bogdan Bogdanovic had a rough stretch of games on the offensive end leading into Wednesday's game vs Cleveland, but he had one of his best games in a while. He scored 23 points and had a great fourth-quarter performance. With Johnson and Young out, Bogdanovic can't afford to have an off game, even against Memphis.
Saddiq Bey has had his struggles this season, but he had a big game vs Cleveland on Wednesday. He scored 23 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, and also had a big night pulling in rebounds. When he is hitting his three-point shots and rebounding well, Bey is a useful player to have on the floor and it makes up for his defensive shortcomings.
The center duo of Clint Capela and Bruno Fernando has been hit or miss with Okongwu out. With Johnson out, the Hawks won't have the ability to play small.
