Atlanta Hawks vs Washington Wizards: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups for Today's Matchup

The Hawks made it closer than it needed to be against Brooklyn, but they pulled out a win heading into another easy matchup with the Washington Wizards.

Dec 6, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) shoots the ball over Washington Wizards guard CJ McCollum (3) in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks haven't really looked like a team that deserves to be locked into a playoff spot. After beating a hobbled 76ers team, they followed it up by getting blown out by the Heat and pulling out a comeback win over the Brooklyn Nets. Atlanta was down by 11 points before the Nets went cold and handed the game to the Hawks on a silver-and-black platter. On paper, winning two of three isn't bad, but it has to be acknowledged that the Hawks are benefitting from a really easy schedule rather than playing good basketball at the moment.

A blowout loss to a team that's directly above them in the standings, coupled with having to claw out a win against arguably the worst team in the league, just doesn't bode well for this team being able to make noise down the stretch or put up a fight in the playoffs if they make it. Fortunately, they do have an opportunity to keep making up ground in the standings against a Wizards team that has been depleted of the little talent they do have.

There is no excuse for the Hawks to lose this game and frankly, this game shouldn't be close if they are serious about trying to make the playoffs.

By the Numbers

Dec 6, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (7) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Atlanta's offense has been extremely inconsistent this year, but they were able to capitalize on the Nets going cold in the fourth quarter. Even so, the Hawks are 10th in points, 14th in FG%, 6th in 3P%, 20th in FT%, 24th in rebounds (22nd in OREB, 19th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 11th in turnovers per game. They're 20th in offensive rating this year.

The Hawks held the Nets to 104 total points and forced Michael Porter Jr into an off-night with 18 points on 19 shots. However, they still have a long way to go before being considered a solid unit. On a per-game basis, the Hawks' defense ranks 24th in points allowed, 21st in FG% allowed, 14th in 3P% allowed, 26th in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 19th in blocks. They're 16th in defensive rating on the year.

It should come as no surprise, but the Wizards are one of the worst offenses in the NBA. Injuries have taken a toll on an already lacking unit and the numbers aren't pretty. They're 25th in points, 24th in FG%, 17th in 3P%, 22nd in FT%, 17th in rebounds (13th in OREB), 19th in assists and 25th in turnovers per game. This is another relatively soft matchup for the Hawks' defense to go up against.

The Wizards' defense hasn't been great even with a strong season from Alex Sarr, but it's so much worse without him in the lineup. They're 29th in points allowed, 23rd in FG% allowed, 26th in 3P% allowed, 30th in rebounds allowed, 21st in steals and 2nd in blocks. This is a matchup where the Hawks should be able to torch the opposing defense with relative ease barring horrific shooting luck.

Three Reasons Atlanta Can Win This Game

Nov 15, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots the ball against Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Jalen Johnson is always a good bet for a triple-double, but he's been particularly productive in February. He's already recorded three triple-doubles in the month and he has an excellent chance to get his fourth tonight against a weak Wizards defense. He had 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in the last game he played versus the Wizards - there's no reason he can't put up similar numbers tonight. While Kyshawn George is a decent defender, Johnson will also draw a healthy dose of Bilal Coulibaly or Anthony Gill in a huge mismatch.

During the surprising blowout the Wizards handed the Hawks, CJ McCollum couldn't miss for Washington. He scored 46 points on 10-13 shooting from deep and while he hasn't had that caliber of performance in Atlanta, McCollum has largely been a consistent 20 points off the bench for the Hawks on decent efficiency. He's also had moments on defense and this isn't a matchup where the other team can play him off the floor. He'll have a great chance to power Atlanta to another win against his old team.

Zaccharie Risacher's benching against the Nets suggests that the Hawks might not be invested in the French wing's development to the same extent they were just a year ago. Risacher has objectively had a poor sophomore season, shooting just 44.3% from the field and 52,3% on two-pointers this year. It is also interesting to note that Jonathan Kuminga was upgraded from out to questionable ahead of today's game.

While it hasn't been officially confirmed that Kuminga will be avaliable, it suggests he's working his way back to a return sooner rather than later. A healthy Kuminga could lead to a further depression of Risacher's role. Fortunately, tonight's game is an excellent chance for him to make a statement. He's going up against a weak perimeter defense and his three-point shot has remained mostly consistent from his rookie season (35% on roughly four attempts a game). Risacher is the type of player who can get hot quickly and if he can't get it going against Washington, it's a pretty bleak statement on his future.

Three Reasons Atlanta Might Lose This Game

Dec 6, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

One of the more underrated stories this season for Washington has been the emergence of Justin Champagnie. He's carved out a role with the Wizards as a hustle player who makes a big difference on the boards. The Wizards' offensive rebounding percentage goes up by 8.2% in his 949 minutes, which is a fairly significant sample size. That could make a difference against a team like Atlanta, who has looked hapless on the offensive boards at times this season.

Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson are the names to watch for the Wizards' offense. Johnson has missed time with injuries this season, but he's back in the lineup now and the Hawks should be wary of a shooter who's hitting 37.8% of his 5.3 three-point attempts a game. George has made a major leap in his sophomore season as a shooter, hitting 37.4% from deep on 5.5 attempts a game. Those two players haven't been consistent, but they are capable of getting hot and torching the Hawks' leaky perimeter defense if Atlanta overlooks them.

The Wizards don't have elite depth, but some of their depth pieces have been able to chip in and give them a lift at times. They're third in bench points per game and during their last game against Atlanta, they got 33 points combined from Tristan Vukcevic and Will Riley. If the Hawks get lazy with their rotations or over-help, it's possible that Washington could keep it close with some surprising bench performances.

Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks: Jonathan Kuminga is questionable.

Washington Wizards: Justin Champagnie and Tristan Vukcevic are questionable while Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, Cam Whitmore and D'Angelo Russell are out.

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Where to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks

G - Dyson Daniels

G - CJ McCollum

F - Nickeil Alexander-Walker

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Wizards

G - Bub Carrington

G - Tre Johnson

F - Kyshawn George

F - Bilal Coulibaly

C - Anthony Gill

It'll be an interesting game to watch as the Hawks should win this one comfortably. However, they can't be complacent and Atlanta has seen how underestimating this team has hurt them in the past. If the Hawks play to their potential, this should be a blowout that sets the team up nicely heading into another game versus Washington before taking on the Trail Blazers.