Oct 23, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles against Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
After being listed as probable coming into tonight’s game vs Brooklyn, Trae Young is available to play.
After a tough loss on Tuesday to the Orlando Magic, the Hawks have as good of a bounce back opportunity as you’ll find tonight. The Hawks are on the road to face the Brooklyn Nets and it is a must win game for the Hawks. Orlando has now clinched the top spot in the NBA play-in tournament, but the Hawks still have a shot at the No. 8 spot and if they can win out the rest of the way, they will face the Magic in the first round of the play-in tournament next Tuesday. First things first, they have to take advantage of playing a Brooklyn team that would probably rather see the Hawks win anyway.
Our own Rohan Raman broke down the game in-depth today:
“Coming into tonight’s game, the Hawks are 5th in the NBA in PPG, 14th in FG%, 15th in 3PA, 20th in 3P%, 3rd in FTA, 26th in turnovers, and 14th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 16th in points per 100 possessions, 16th in effective field goal percentage, 22nd in turnover percentage, 12th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 9th in free throw rate.
Currently, the Hawks rank 27th in PPG allowed, 29th in field goal percentage allowed, 15th in three-point attempts allowed, and 28th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 19th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 29th in effective field goal percentage allowed.
The Nets are looking for a new primary option in the 2025 NBA Draft for a reason. They’re 29th in points per game, 29th in FG%, 8th in 3PA, 25th in 3P%, 25th in FTA, 23rd in turnovers, and 29th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Brooklyn is 28th in points per 100 possessions, 27th in effective field goal percentage, 29th in turnover percentage, 15th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 18th in free throw rate.
The Nets’ defense is surprisingly better. They are 10th in PPG allowed, 27th in field goal percentage allowed, 5th in three-point attempts allowed, and 15th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Brooklyn is 21st in points allowed per 100 possessions and 26th in effective field goal percentage allowed.
Although their offense isn’t especially strong, Drew Timme has come on as of late for the Nets. The rookie has played six games for the Nets and he’s averaged 12.3 points and six rebounds on 58.8 TS%. Timme isn’t much of a floor-spacer, but he has given the Nets good minutes in the absence of Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe. Maxwell Lewis has been a nice two-way option for the team as he is a highly athletic defender who can get hot from deep.
Onyeka Okongwu was excellent for the Hawks against the Magic. After accumulating a combined 20 points and 14 rebounds on 7-15 shooting in his previous two games against a massive Orlando lineup, the young center shattered expectations with a 30 point, 14 rebound performance that kept the Hawks in the game. The exciting thing is how well his three-point shot was falling as he went 4-7 from deep. He’ll have a somewhat difficult matchup tonight against Nic Claxton. Even though Claxton is having a down season, he’s still a solid defender who can limit Okongwu in the paint and on the perimeter.
Outside of Trae Young and Okongwu, the rest of Atlanta’s starting lineup could use this game to get right. Young had 28 points and 10 assists, but the rest of Atlanta’s starters had 29 points combined. That type of output just isn’t going to be good enough considering how awful the Hawks defense is right now. Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels are going to be very important pieces for the Hawks in the play-in and beyond. Although they finished with solid efficiency and the Magic have a good defense, neither had standout games on offense or defense. A Nets team that struggles on both ends provides an excellent opportunity for them to return to their usual form.”
Atlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets: Final Score Predictions For Tonight’s Game
Atlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets: Spread and Over/Under Predictions For Tonight’s Game
