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Atlanta Hawks begin back-to-back in Detroit
Mar 21, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) dribbles defended by Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports|Dale Zanine/Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Hawks face an intriguing back-to-back this weekend. First, the Hawks visit the Detroit Pistons on Friday with a chance to get back to the .500 mark with a win. Then, Atlanta returns home to face the Chicago Bulls on Saturday evening.
Not Your Older Brother’s Pistons
The Pistons have been ghastly for a long time. Detroit has not posted a winning percentage better than .303 since the 2018-29 season, finishing with 23 wins or fewer in five consecutive campaigns. The Pistons actually bottomed out over the last two years, winning only 31 games combined, and Detroit infamously lost 28 straight games during the 2023-24 season.
With that said, the Pistons made notable changes in the offseason. Detroit is still building with Cade Cunningham as the team’s centerpiece, but the Pistons jettisoned Monty Williams and replaced him with a high-floor head coach in JB Bickerstaff. Detroit also invested in reasonably solid veterans like Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, and Simone Fontecchio. In addition, former lottery pick Jaden Ivey is showing signs of life in his third season, and Cunningham just produced triple-doubles in two straight games.
An Interesting Challenge
Detroit is just 3-6 this season, but the Pistons are in the middle of the pack of the NBA when it comes to point differential. They also lost their first four games but, since then, Detroit is 3-2 with tangible strengths.
The Pistons are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA in the early going. Detroit is grabbing 31.3 percent of available offensive rebounds, a top-10 mark, and the Pistons are even better on the defensive end. Detroit is securing 76 percent of available defensive rebounds, and Atlanta will need to hold up on the glass in this game.
On the other end of the possession battle, Detroit seemingly has a turnover problem. The Pistons are committing a turnover on 17.2 percent of offensive possessions, a ghastly figure, and Detroit is creating a turnover on only 12.3 percent of defensive possessions. Ball security will be at the forefront for the Hawks in this upcoming matchup.
Injury Updates
The quartet of Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kobe Bufkin, Vit Krejci, and Seth Lundy remains out for the Hawks. From there, De’Andre Hunter will miss his eighth consecutive game with “right knee injury management.” This has been a constant source of uncertainty for the sixth-year forward, but with the Hawks facing a back-to-back on Saturday, it is not a surprise that he would be out for another game. For Detroit, Jalen Duren (ankle) is listed as doubtful, and Ausar Thompson (return to competition reconditioning) is out.
The Nuggets did it (Nikola Jokic did it), the Warriors did it (the death lineup and defensive efficiency), the Celtics did it (switching one through five, pre-switching, neutralizing open lanes), and now the Thunder are doing it.
It’s been described as pestering, smothering, swarming, but I‘d like to put “car wash” into consideration. That’s the set up awaiting opponents. The car (the opposing team) gets locked into those self-driving tracks and the gauntlet begins. Lu Dort and Alex Caruso appear as those cylindrical spinning brushes, stripping the ball outright and early or else funnelling players into the next wave of guards. Pressure continues from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylen Williams but it becomes more targeted, thinking of the jet streams of water now being directed at the car from every angle — and those spinning whirlwinds of Caruso and Dort haven’t relented.
If, somehow, an opposing player finds a sliver of daylight in the so-small-its-micro-ball switching scheme the Thunder are playing, if they manage to get out from the many hands reaching in, pressuring, forcing turnovers, then they will meet Chet Holmgren at the rim. Holmgren is like those long, slapping shammy tentacles that come down on the hood, sides and roof of the car from every angle, though his reach and hands are much more expertly deployed. The Thunder have a defensive rating of 96.5 (for context the Warriors, at second best, seem light-years behind with a respectable 103.8) and lead the league in steals (13.4) and blocks (7.3). The cars are coming out spotless, utterly worked.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Analysis The latest analysis on the Hawks highlights Trae Young and Jalen Johnson’s synergy and stats. The duo is key to Atlanta’s success. (Peachtree Hoops)
Preview The Atlanta Hawks battle the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena at 7pm ET. Read the preview.(NBA)
Watch Defense wins games? Here’s an insightful breakdown of OKC’s defensive schemes. (Thinking Basketball)
Must Read The Influence of Sedona Price: Take a fascinating look at the domino effect of NIL on college athletics, women’s sports, social media and athlete health. (The New Yorker)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Basketball Impact of Miles Bridges’ Injury
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) holds his knee after a collision at the basket against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Spectrum Center.|Photo by Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
With only three games on Thursday, there was ample time to delve into the latest injury news and its implications for fantasy managers.
Injury Updates and Their Impact
Miles Bridges’ knee injury is a significant concern. After initially returning to play, he’s now sidelined for at least two weeks with a knee bone bruise. This situation opens up opportunities for other players. With Nick Richards and Mark Williams also out, Taj Gibson steps in as the starting centre. Grant Williams, who has been getting centre minutes, will likely shift to playing more at the four, alongside Tidjane Salaun. This reshuffling could push Williams into a more prominent role, making him a potential pick-up in 12-team leagues.
The absence of Bridges also means increased usage for Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball. Tre Mann is another player to watch; holding onto him could be beneficial as the team adjusts to these injuries.
Ja Morant’s hamstring injury is another blow, with expectations of a two-week absence. Memphis’ injury reporting is notoriously vague, so fantasy managers should prepare for an extended period without Morant. Tyrese Maxey’s situation is similar, with the Sixers indicating a reevaluation in a week, but realistically, it could be longer. Kyle Lowry is a suitable replacement in the meantime.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Hawks podcasts.
Shooting nightmare sends Hawks to loss in San Francisco The show focuses on Wednesday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors, including Atlanta’s clean injury report, a shooting nightmare for the Hawks, encouraging defense, a total collapse at the end of the first half, and much more.
Hawks bounce back with roller coaster win over Kings The show focuses on Monday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Sacramento Kings, including the surprise absence of Jalen Johnson, the return of Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kobe Bufkin, a lights-out start, a three-point shooting barrage by Sacramento, De’Andre Hunter’s strong play, Trae Young’s passing brilliance, Dyson Daniels sealing the game, and much more.
Third quarter disaster, turnover issues doom Hawks in road loss to Blazers The show focuses on Sunday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Portland Trail Blazers, headlined by a disastrous third quarter and widespread turnover issues for Atlanta. Topics also include rough late-game execution, defensive rebounding problems, the return of Vit Krejci, and much more.
