Hawks vs Pistons: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineup for Tonight's Matchup

While the Hawks made several moves to improve their depth and reduce their dependency on Trae Young, many fans were cautiously optimistic. However, the early returns have been far better than fans could have hoped for. In the nine games that the star point guard has been sidelined, the Hawks have gone 7-2 while playing like one of the ten best teams in the NBA. Their defense has been arguably the best in the NBA while their offense has steadily crept up into the top 10.

Hawks without Trae Young:

— 7-2 record
— Top 2 defense
— Top 10 offense
— Top 10 net rating pic.twitter.com/MMKfmzk2Wd
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 17, 2025

While the numbers have been impressive, the sample size is still admittedly quite small and the Hawks haven't exactly played a gauntlet of a schedule. Therefore, it was a great sign to see them etch out a comeback win over the Suns, 124-22, in their last game. Phoenix has been playing extremely well to start the season and the Hawks got contributions up and down the roster to beat them. That was most evident in the fourth quarter, where they scored an incredible 47 points.

The headliner of the game was Onyeka Okongwu's 27 points, bolstered by the eight threes that he hit from deep. Jalen Johnson stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists while point guard Dyson Daniels did the same with 11 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds. They also got 25 points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who powered their offense in the clutch with 16 fourth quarter points. It wasn't the cleanest game from the Hawks and they got thrown off by the adjustments Phoenix made towards the end of the second quarter to build up a lead, but this win was an excellent supporting argument for the idea that Atlanta's results without Trae Young are somewhat real.

Tonight's game will be an even tougher test. The Pistons have opened the season hot at 12-2 and are currently leading the Eastern Conference due to winning 10 consecutive games. They have a tough, athletic team spearheaded by Cade Cunningham and Atlanta is going to have to bring their best in order to beat Detroit.

By the Numbers

Pistons, Detroit Pistons, Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, H — Feb 3, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles defended by Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The fourth quarter made up for a rough offensive performance through the end of the second quarter and the third quarter. Atlanta is 17th in points, 9th in FG%, 14th in 3P%, 18th in FT%, 23rd in rebounds (26th in OREB), 1st in assists and 15th in turnovers per game. They're 18th in offensive rating on the year and seem entrenched somewhere between the 10th to 15th spot league wide at their peak without Young.

Atlanta's defense wasn't quite as impressive against Phoenix, but they did enough in the fourth quarter to get the win. On a per-game basis, Atlanta ranks 7th in points allowed, 8th in FG% allowed, 6th in 3P% allowed, 25th in rebounds allowed, 2nd in steals and 9th in blocks. They're 6th in defensive rating on the year and for the first time in the Trae Young era, he might have a truly elite defense to hide his deficiencies on that end.

The Pistons aren't a stellar offense, but they do a good job of complementing their strong defense by battling for rebounds and getting out in transition. It obviously starts with Cunningham, but they're 12th in points, 12th in FG%, 20th in 3P%, 28th in FT%, 5th in rebounds (6th in OREB), 13th in assists and 15th in turnovers per game. The advanced statistics have them at a respectable ranking on offense - they're 13th in offensive net rating.

Detroit's strength is a ferocious defense that has tons of length and physicality. They're 4th in points allowed, 3rd in FG% allowed, 11th in 3P% allowed, 13th in rebounds allowed, 2nd in steals and 2nd in blocks. Once again, this is going to be one of the toughest defensive matchups the Hawks have faced this year and there's a case to be made that it is the toughest matchup outside of OKC. The advanced statistics back that up because the Pistons have the second-best team defensive rating in the NBA.

Three Reasons Atlanta Can Win This Game

Gueye, Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, Mouhamed Guey — Feb 23, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) plays defense against Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Atlanta's center situation is a huge question mark. If both Porzingis and Okongwu are sidelined, the Hawks will have to turn to the trio of Mo Gueye, N'Faly Dante and possibly Asa Newell to get them through the game. Even so, the elevation of Gueye into the starting lineup is a really intriguing opportunity for him. He's going to likely have a tough matchup in Jalen Duren, but the young Hawks big man is having an incredible season finishing at the rim. He's gone 19 for 21 from that range, which ranks in the 99th percentile among all big men. His impact metrics are starting to normalize from their incredible highs, but the Hawks give up 1.4 points per game fewer on defense and shoot 3.6% better from the field with him on the court.

While a lot of teams can claw their way back into games with hot shooting streaks, that isn't necessarily a hallmark of the Pistons. They're second-to-last in three-point frequency and and third-worst in three-point attempts league-wide. Detroit has been able to weather the loss of many of their starters, but it will be significantly harder to shoot their way back into games if Cade Cunningham is sidelined and an already limited shooting team has to rely heavily on Duncan Robinson and Daniss Jenkins to fuel their efficacy from beyond the arc.

Speaking of Jenkins, he's done an admirable job of stepping in for Cunningham in the last five games. He's scored 18+ points in four of his last five games and dished out 8+ assists in three of them while also showing signs of being a high-volume shooter. Still, since taking over as the starter and getting real minutes, he hasn't faced a defensive backcourt as good as the combination of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels. Daniels is still one of the ten best perimeter stoppers in the NBA while Alexander-Walker can consistently hold his own on defense.

Three Reasons Atlanta Might Lose This Game

Jalen Duren, Duren, Pistons, Detroit Piston — Feb 3, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) shoots on Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Jalen Duren has always been talented and was a critical component of Detroit's playoff berth last season. However, he's having a career-best season so far. The young big man is averaging 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds on 72.2 TS% with the lowest TOV% of his career. He's been an absolute beast on the boards, generating tons of extra possessions for Detroit on offense and ending possessions on defense. The Pistons are 11.3 points better with him on the floor and he's going to be a very difficult player to slow down, especially given that the Hawks might have a light center rotation.

Detroit is also 7th in FTA rate, meaning that this is likely going to be a game where the Hawks will have to be very disciplined on defense. The Pistons aren't a team that relies heavily on a quick pace, but they are seventh in fast break points and love to beat teams up in the paint. They're also 1st in points in the paint across the NBA, which places a ton of pressure on Johnson and Gueye/Dante/Newell to be careful on that end.

The Pistons also have a ton of length on the perimeter that will bother Atlanta's ball-handlers. Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson are both incredibly athletic and aggressive on defense while Duren and Isaiah Stewart are good paint protectors. The Hawks started the season off well with limiting turnovers, but they've slipped in recent weeks all the way down to 15th. It's likely going to be a weakness for as long as they're without Trae and tonight is a prime example of a game where they need to be careful with their handle/decision making.

Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young is out while Onyeka Okongwu, Kristaps Porzingis and Zaccharie Risacher are all questionable.

Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson are both questionable while Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris, Marcus Sasser and Bobi Klintman have been ruled 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