Wizards Looking for Another Upset Win Over Hawks

Emerging Stars

In the absence of All-Star guard Trae Young, forward Jalen Johnson has taken a leap into stardom, leading the team in points, rebounds, and assists. Johnson has been lethal offensively for the Hawks, creating plays in transition with his athleticism — along with creating efficient offense in the half court. Johnson has been one of the better forwards in the entire NBA this season, making guarding him a huge problem considering Washington will be without Bilal Coulibaly.

Right alongside him, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has taken advantage of Young's absence, eclipsing 20 points per game for the first time in his career. To put his jump into perspective, NAW’s previous high in points per game was 12.8, and he averaged just 9.4 a game last season. He has clearly found his stride as a scorer and creator, adding another layer to the already potent Atlanta offense.

Best of the Rest

The majority of the other production for the Hawks comes from big-man duo Onyeka Okongwu and Kristaps Porzingis — and wing pairing Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels. Okongwu and Porzingis have been one of the more lethal shooting frontcourts in the NBA, as both men are cashing in threes at a high clip. Dealing with this duo will be problematic considering Washington will be without Alex Sarr, and possibly even Tristan Vukčević, cutting into their big depth even more.

Daniels and Risacher are both dynamic three-and-D wings, capable of causing havoc on both ends of the floor. Daniels has proven to be one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the NBA, taking on opposing teams’ best players and typically doing well in the process. Risacher, on the other hand, makes more of an impact off the ball, using his length to get tips and get out in transition.

This game is stacking up to be quite the odd matchup. Washington has been plagued with injuries recently, and yet has still found ways to win games. Atlanta is coming off the tail end of a back-to-back as well, giving Washington a little edge that they could need to pull off the victory. Either way it goes down, this is sure to be a test to both the coaching and the depth of the young Wizards.