THe Hawks have won consecutive preseason games heading into tonight's game vs the Thunder and they will look to make it three in a row when they host one of the NBA's premier teams at State Farm Arena. This is going to be the final home game of the preseason for the Hawks and they won't be back until the regular season home opener against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 24th.
This is going to be a marquee preseason game not only because the Thunder are one of the elite teams in the NBA, but because it will be the first time that Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins have gotten to face their former team. Atlanta dealt for both players during the offseason when the Thunder were attempting to cut costs and avoid the second apron. Wiggins and Dort are going to play big roles on the Hawks this season and if they see the court tonight, they will want to put up a good showing against their former team.
Game Preview
Who plays?
The biggest question for every NBA preseason game is who is actually going to start and how long are they going to be on the court?
So far this preseason, the Hawks have rested one of their starters in each game and I would not be surprised if that trend continues against the Thunder. In the first preseason game, CJ McCollum rested, then it was Jalen Johnson's turn, and on Saturday, Nickeil Alexander-Walker sat due to rest. Keep an eye on either Dyson Daniels or Onyeka Okongwu (or both) to rest tonight against the Thunder.
Elite defense
If the Thunder play their players tonight, it is going to be a chance for the Hawks to see how they matchup against one of the elite defenses in the league. One of the Hawks biggest questions is their halfcourt offense against high-level teams and against the Spurs a few nights ago, they struggled to get consistent looks and started the game 1-14 from three.
While the Thunder don't have Victor Wembanyama, they have elite players everywhere on the court and the perimeter and will challenge the Hawks.
Frontcourt options
The Hawks have had some struggles when it comes to figuring out the optimal pairing on defense in the frontcourt.
The starting unit is fine. but too often this preseason, Quin Snyder has elected to go to a trio of Corey Kispert, Asa Newell, and Jock Landale, with often terrible results. Newell and Landale are not a good pairing when it comes to defense, but without Mouhamed Gueye, Atlanta is a little limited. Rookie Zuby Ejiofor is a defensive specialist and tough player, but Atlanta has not given him a chance to earn big minutes yet.
How to Watch
Today's game will be shown at 7:00 p.m. ET and can be watched on Atlanta News First and Peachtree TV in Atlanta.
Projected Starters
G - CJ McCollum
G - Nickeil Alexander-Walker
G/F - Dyson Daniels
F - Jalen Johnson
C - Onyeka Okongwu
Add us as a preferred source on Google