Three main threads of today’s match

The Hawks lost a game against the Washington Wizards on Monday, but they have a chance to get some revenge on the road tonight. Atlanta started the year 2-0 with wins over the Nets and Hornets, but then lost to the Thunder and Wizards. Injuries will also play a big role in today’s match and there is no other way to describe it.

De’Andre Hunter (right knee inflammation) is questionable, Dyson Daniels (right hip flexor strain), Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring), Kobe Bufkin (shoulder) and Vit Krejci (adductor) are out. Yesterday, the Hawks also updated the status of Bogdanovic, Bufkin and Krejci. Bufkin and Bogdanovic will be re-evaluated in four weeks, and Krejci in two weeks. Daniels is an everyday occurrence.

For now, the Hawks will have a tough task to overcome, but they can still beat Washington, which will be without Kyle Kuzma and Malcolm Brogdon.

What are the main story lines going into this game?

1. Can Trae Young bounce back?

Young has been amazing this season, but last night was tough. He scored six points and made two shots in the opening minutes of the game, but missed his last 13 shots, including the winning one. Young finished the game with 14 points and 13 assists on 2-15 shooting, including 2-10 from three. He didn’t make a single two-pointer and seemed to be struggling with Bilal Coulibaly all night long. No player is immune to a bad game, and the Hawks are asking Young to do a lot in the absence of subs, but it wasn’t a good performance. With so many injuries, Young can be counted on to lead the Hawks against one of the worst defenses in the NBA. I think he will recover after Monday’s hard performance.

2. Who is the backup quarterback/ball handler?

At the beginning of the year, one of the concerns for the Hawks was the backup point guard situation. They hoped Kobe Bufkin would be that guy, but he was injured and didn’t play in the regular season. Then there was Vit Krejci, but he was injured in Monday’s loss to the Wizards. Bogdanovic and Daniels were secondary options, but they too are injured. This is a problem for the Hawks and how they deal with it today will be interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing Keaton Wallace in some capacity, but is there anything else Quin Snyder can do?

3. Will Wizards be as successful from three?

The Hawks have one of the strangest defensive profiles in the NBA. They rank 9th in overall field goal percentage allowed, but are dead last in the NBA in three-point percentage allowed, 30th in three-point field goals allowed per game, and 29th in three-point field goals allowed. In every game this year, the opposing team has shot well from three, and last night was no exception. Washington finished the game 21-44 (48%) from three and led 13-25 in the second half. Whether it was Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Poole or Corey Kispert, the Hawks were unable to slow down the Wizards’ three-point attack and it cost them last night.

The Wizards won’t have Kuzma today, but Poole, Kispert and Bub Carrington are capable of getting hot from three. Can the Hawks finally slow down their opponent from three? Tonight’s game could be difficult without their best perimeter defender.

Additional links:

Hawks vs Wizards: Spread and Score Predictions

Hawks vs Wizards: match preview, injury report, betting odds, expected starting lineups for today’s game

Which backup point guard could Atlanta add in free agency?