Charlotte Hornets vs. Atlanta Hawks Game Preview
INJURY REPORT:
Hornets: DOUBTFUL- Bryce McGowens (Ankle), OUT: James Bouknight (Knee), Frank Ntilikina (Tibia), Miles Bridges (Suspension), Cody Martin (Knee).
Hawks: OUT - Wesley Matthews (Calf)
GAME PREVIEW: The Hornets will take on the Atlanta Hawks for the first game of the 2023-24 season. The Hornets did not have the season they wanted last year and they're looking to improve upon that and start things off with a win vs. the Hawks. Atlanta made it into the playoffs through the play-in tournament last season and won two games versus the Boston Celtics in the first round before dropping the series 4-2.
The Hawks sent John Collins packing to Utah this summer. Other than that, the Hawks didn't really make any additional moves outside of the NBA Draft, where they selected Kobe Bufkin. The Hawks have a lot of confidence in Jalen Johnson, who is likely to be the replacement for John Collins. The question is did the Hawks get any better than they were previously a year ago or did they potentially get worse?
One of the more exciting matchups tonight will be watching Mark Williams and Nick Richards go at Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu. The Hornets and Hawks both have one of the top center rotations in the league. Whoever controls the paint the best will have a better chance of winning tonight's season opener.
The Hornets' bench production will be important in this one as they are a bit shorthanded. Cody Martin, James Bouknight, and Frank Ntilikina are all out, and recently signed Ish Smith will most likely not be available. Theo Maledon is officially not on the injury report, so there's a good chance that he will receive some backup guard minutes tonight. However, he might be a little bit rusty considering he didn't suit up in the preseason.
The Hornets will run an eight or nine-man rotation tonight, with JT Thor, Nick Richards, Brandon Miller, and potentially Maledon coming off the bench.
Miller averaged just 8.3 points per game in the preseason while making just one three-pointer across the four games. Look for Brandon Miller to knock down a couple of triples in this game.
The game will be televised on Bally Sports Southeast at 7:00 PM EST.
KEY MATCHUP: LaMelo Ball vs Trae Young
The point guard matchup will certainly be one to watch tonight as the two young guards go at it. Last season, LaMelo Ball averaged 23.3 points per game, along with 6.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists. Meanwhile, Trae Young averaged 26.2 points per game, along with 3.0 rebounds and 10.2 assists. Both point guards are known to be excellent shooters and fantastic facilitators. In LaMelo's career, he holds a 4-3 record over Trae Young who has averaged just 21.4 points per game on 36.7% shooting from the field and 28.6% from three in those games. The point guard play will be key as the two stars try to get their respective teams a win to start off the 2023-2024 season on a positive note.
| Position | Hornets | Hawks |
|---|---|---|
Point Guard | LaMelo Ball | Trae Young |
Shooting Guard | Terry Rozier | Dejounte Murray |
Small Forward | Gordon Hayward | Saddiq Bey |
Power Forward | PJ Washington | Jalen Johnson |
Center | Mark Williams | Clint Capela |
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