After losing to the Raptors last night in Toronto, Atlanta is going to have another shot to beat them tomorrow night. Atlanta has lost five games in a row and will look to break that streak tomorrow.
Atlanta has missed De'Andre Hunter for two straight games and on the initial injury report for tomorrow night, Hunter is listed as questionable with right knee soreness. Rookies Kobe Bufkin and Mouhamed Gueye are also on the injury report for tomorrow, as is forward Jalen Johnson.
Hunter's presence has been missed by the Hawks. Atlanta has resorted to starting Garrison Matthews or Wesley Matthews in his absence and while neither guy has played a lot of minutes in their starts, it has left the Hawks without size. Against a team like Toronto, who has size everywhere, that is a huge problem.
If Hunter plays, it will be a boost to the defense. If he does not, it is going to be hard for the Hawks to win.
If the Hawks lose another game, the trade rumors and talks are only going to get louder.
Granted, there is still time and it is only December, but it is starting to become clear that this Hawks team, even when healthy, is limited. They have defensive issues, size issues, and depth issues. The defense and the size were two worrisome things to me at the beginning of the season, but I thought the Hawks had good depth on the roster and could challenge for a top-six spot. Again, there is still a lot of season left to be played, but time is running out for the Hawks to get things going.
ESPN NBA analysts Zach Lowe and Kevin Pelton were discussing the Hawks yesterday on his Lowe's Podcast, the Lowe Post, and when talking about the nicest thing he could say about Atlanta this season, this is what Lowe had to say:
"My nice thing to say about the Hawks is that they have achieved clarity and that clarity is that their team is not good. This has not worked. The 2021 Conference Finals run is a long time and mega trade ago. The Hawks are 9-13, they are 5th in offense, which is fine, and 27th in defense and I just hate watching them. I hate watching them. They are -26 with Murray and Young on the floor together with an offensive rating that would be about average and if this is what they are..."
Atlanta will have a chance to pick up a win tomorrow and end their losing streak.
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