Five on Five: Comparing the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans Projected Starting Lineups

If Dejounte Murray was fully healthy, this would be more of a conversation. After all, there was some discussion of whether Murray or Young was better for the Hawks long-term when it became clear that the ill-fated blockbuster trade that got Murray to the Hawks wouldn't work out. However, last season officially put a stop to those talks. Trae Young is coming off another All-Star season in which he averaged 24.2 PPG, 11.6 APG, and 3.1 RPG, shooting 41% from the field and 34% from three. He led another productive Hawks offense and relied mostly on his passing due to struggling with his efficiency as a scorer. Even so, he's still practically an offense unto himself due to his gravity as a playmaker.

On the other hand, Murray's season was unfortunately cut short by an Achilles injury. He wasn't exactly lighting it up before his injury either - he only averaged 17.5 points on a career-worst 39.3% shooting from the field. While he's sidelined for the first half of the 2025 season, the Pelicans are expected to lean on top-10 pick Jeremiah Fears to man the point guard spot. Fears has a good handle and some playmaking talent, but his shot is still a work in progress and he's a rookie. It's hard to rank either of the 2025 versions of New Orleans' point guards over Young.

Advantage: Atlanta

Shooting Guard: Dyson Daniels vs Jordan Poole

Dyson Daniels is, full-stop, one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. He earned that reputation during his time with the Pelicans, but he took a step forward with the Hawks after being acquired in the Dejounte Murray trade. There's a case that he is the best perimeter defender in the NBA, but he needs to show it in the playoffs before he can earn that moniker. Even so, the reigning NBA steals leader had a great two-way season for the Hawks, averaging a career-high 14.1 points on a career-best 54.5 TS%. He's not the most dynamic offensive player, but he does enough to keep himself on the court so that he can exert his defensive advantage on opposing stars. He routinely takes the toughest perimeter assignment and his combination of size, timing and agility is matched by very few players.

Poole is all offense - he can put up some big-time scoring games and has the touch to swing games if he goes on a hot streak. The problem is that he doesn't offer much when his shot isn't falling. Right now, Poole is clearly the better scorer, but Dyson is a much better all-around player and that makes a big difference.

Advantage: Atlanta

Small Forward: Zaccharie Risacher vs Trey Murphy III

Over the second half of the season, Risacher thrived in his role by blossoming into a good catch-and-shoot three-point shooter who had some nice moments on defense due to his foot speed. His shooting numbers really improved (46% from the field and 36% from three) over the course of the season. He doesn't have a ton of refinement yet to his game, but there were flashes of a developing handle and he had a great summer appearance in the EuroBasket tournament.

With all due respect to Risacher's ceiling, he's still far away from being able to match Trey Murphy III. Even though the Pelicans haven't been very relevant, Murphy has been excellent for them. He took a massive leap in his fourth season, averaging 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists while still shooting 36.1% from deep on around 8.3 attempts a game. He could be in the All-Star conversation next season if he stays healthy and that's hard to see Risacher reaching in Year 2.

Advantage: New Orleans

Power Forward: Jalen Johnson vs Zion Williamson

All signs are poised for Johnson to take a big leap in 2025. He is a phenomenal talent who can handle the ball, rebound at an elite level and even create some of his own offense. He was averaging 18.9 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 5.0 APG while shooting 50% from the field and 31% from three last season before going down with a season-ending shoulder injury. He's consistently struggled to stay healthy, but there's no doubt he's one of the best young forwards in the NBA.

Things aren't as simple with Williamson. When he's on the court and in shape, he's arguably one of the 20 best players in the sport and fully capable of being the primary scoring option for a team. Over the second half of the season, he averaged 24.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. There are few players who can fill up a stat sheet like he can and he's taken some strides on defense. The question with Zion is always his health. That's similar to Johnson, but Zion being healthy can be a transformative player. At the moment, that's not quite true of Johnson.

Advantage: New Orleans

Center: Kristaps Porzingis/Onyeka Okongwu vs Yves Missi/Derik Queen

A healthy version of Porzingis is a player that few teams have an answer for. He's coming off a season where he averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 41.2% from deep on high volume. He's also a complimentary playmaker, averaging around two assists a game in the past two seasons. Okongwu isn't quite in that tier, but he's still a solid perimeter defender who can protect the rim at an adequate level and has some utility as a play finisher with Trae Young and Johnson.

Missi and Queen are both very different as well. Last season, Missi was thrust into the starting lineup and played quite well for a rookie. He almost averaged a double-double, putting up 9.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He needs to work on his finishing and overall shooting, but it's possible he could be a quality backup or occasional starter at center. However, the big gamble is Derik Queen. Queen's unique combination of size and passing, as well as strong finishing at the rim, make him a worthy bet to eventually earn starting minutes over Missi. His defense needs to improve, but there's a good chance he takes the starting role sooner rather than later.

Advantage: Atlanta

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