Brad Rowland here, the host of the daily Locked On Hawks podcast, with your daily Locked On Hawks newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Hawks and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Hawks host Cavs for NBA Cup group finale on Friday
Nov 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) blocks a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard/David Richard-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks host the Cleveland Cavaliers for a rare Friday afternoon matchup on the day after Thanksgiving. That matchup comes less than 48 hours after Atlanta pulled off a significant upset in Cleveland, erasing a 19-point deficit and winning in runaway fashion. Beyond the intrigue of a second straight game against the East-leading Cavaliers, Friday’s matchup will double as the finale of the NBA Cup group stage for the Hawks.
The stakes
In short, the Hawks can earn a trip to the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Friday, though they will need a little bit of help. First, Atlanta must defeat Cleveland. If the Hawks did that, they would improve to 3-1 in group play, which is a key distinction. Then, the Hawks would be rooting for the Boston Celtics to defeat the Chicago Bulls on Friday evening.
If Atlanta wins and Boston wins, the Hawks would win the group and advance. If Atlanta loses, that will spell the end of the team’s 2024 NBA Cup journey.
The matchup
Atlanta showed on Wednesday that the team is capable of beating Cleveland and, in theory, the situation is friendlier on Friday. The biggest change is that the game is at State Farm Arena, which generally means a multi-point swing in the pre-game projections.
Trae Young (Achilles) is listed as probable for the Hawks, with the rest of the injury report unchanged from Wednesday’s contest. Max Strus and Dean Wade remain out for the Cavs, with Caris LeVert listed as questionable.
The Hawks won the three-point battle decisively in Cleveland, which was a refreshing change for the squad after very few of those instances to date. Still, it is an area to keep an eye on in the rematch, and the Hawks will also aim to improve on dismal shooting numbers at the rim on Wednesday.
Nov 27, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts to a call against the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel/Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Anthony Edwards went off on Wednesday night, and it wasn’t in the game.
The Timberwolves star had a lot of frustration to share after Minnesota lost to the Kings, and tallied their fourth straight loss in a row.
“We thought defense was our identity, and it’s not looking like that,” Edwards said in the locker room. “Our identity right now, me and Mike [Conley] was talking about it, I think is we soft as hell as a team, internally. Not to the other team, but like internally we soft, like we can’t talk to each other. Just a bunch of little kids, just like we playing with a bunch of little kids. Like everybody, like the whole team, we just can’t talk to each other and we gotta figure it out, man, because we can’t go down this road.”
He spoke at length, not holding much back, but the most interesting flag came in Edwards comments about the team as a whole. He noted that everyone on the team had their “own agenda”, which made it particularly difficult for him, as the de facto leader, to get them on the same page. Wolves beat reporter for the Star Tribune, Chris Hine, said Edwards lamented the team was “growing apart”, partly because it felt so difficult to have honest conversations with teammates.
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
Roster Nikola Djurisic, the Hawks’ second-round pick, recently made his debut in the G League. His performance could influence future roster decisions. Read more about his debut and its implications for the team. (AJC)
Analysis Is it time to tear down the Hawks? Why trading Trae Young might be the best move for the future of the franchise. (Fadeaway World)
Biz Former Timberwolves GM and current president of Paris Basketball David Kahn predicts the NBA will be in Europe “within two years” (EuroHoops)
LaMelo Ball Is Out On Friday - What Are The Fantasy Basketball Implications?
Nov 27, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) reacts after scoring a three point basket during the first half against the Miami Heat at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe/Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images
As we gear up for a packed NBA schedule, it’s crucial to stay ahead of the game with the latest injury updates and strategic streaming options. With ten games on the horizon, there’s plenty to consider for your fantasy basketball lineup.
Injury Updates and Streaming Strategies
The New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets face off in an early game, and the injury report has thrown a few curveballs. Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson are out for the Knicks, while the Hornets are missing key players like Mark Williams, Nick Richards, and Miles Bridges. The unexpected absence of LaMelo Ball due to a calf issue adds another layer of complexity. With Ball sidelined, Vasa Micic becomes a prime streaming target, offering value for both Friday and Saturday games. Keep an eye on Jalen Brunson, who seems to be finding his rhythm again, which is a positive sign for fantasy managers.
On the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks front, Darius Garland’s recent dip in usage and shooting is worth monitoring. Meanwhile, Trae Young’s impressive assist numbers continue to shine, despite some Achilles concerns. For streaming, Ty Jerome is a viable option if Dean Wade and Caris LeVert remain out, while DeAndre Hunter offers potential upside for the Hawks.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Hawks podcasts.
Hawks snap skid with resilient, impressive win over Wolves The show centers on Monday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, with focus on the end of Atlanta’s losing skid, Garrison Mathews’ massive shooting contributions, Dyson Daniels’ continued excellence on the defensive end, notable contributions from Trae Young, red-hot shooting as a team, continued ball security problems, and much more.
Poor defense, dismal first quarter doom Hawks in blowout loss to Grizzlies Topics include the absences of Trae Young and Ja Morant, a dismal first quarter for the Hawks, continued turnover problems, porous defense, the need for improvement from Bogdan Bogdanovic, and much more.
Hawks stumble on offense, lose overtime thriller in San Antonio Topics include Atlanta’s offensive shortcomings, Trae Young’s apparent ankle tweak, ball security issues, Larry Nance Jr.'s hot shooting, De’Andre Hunter’s continued offensive explosion, a rough one for Dyson Daniels, and much more.
