Atlanta is 28th in PPG allowed, 21st in field goal percentage allowed, 30th in 3PA allowed and 30th in 3P% allowed. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 27th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 27th in effective field goals allowed percentage.

Although their games have been decided by a much narrower margin lately, the Celtics have the second-best record in the NBA for a reason. They are 5th in points per game, 6th in field goal percentage, 1st in three-point attempts, 11th in three-point percentage, 13th in free throw attempts, 21st in rebounds, and 20th in turnovers. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Celtics are first in points per 100 possessions, 4th in field goal percentage, 1st in turnover percentage, 19th in offensive rebound percentage and 9th in free throw rate.

Defensively, Boston is 8th in PPG allowed, 12th in field goal percentage allowed, 13th in three-point attempts allowed, and 7th in three-point percentage allowed. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Celtics are 9th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 10th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

With Atlanta missing both Young and backup point guard Kobe Bufkin, Keaton Wallace now becomes a prime candidate to start at point guard for the Hawks. Atlanta simply can’t expect much from him as a scorer considering he’ll be going against the combo of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. It will be critical for Wallace to make good decisions as a passer and find Johnson/Risacher when they are open so they can score the three points needed to keep the Hawks in the game.

Speaking of Risacher, this is arguably the most important role he has played so far in his young NBA career. He will be counted on as a secondary offensive creator and will need to be aggressive to the rim. Assuming the Celtics sit Horford, it should be easier for Risacher to get to the rim and make his impact felt inside. He’s currently shooting 54.5% at the rim, so the numbers can improve in that area. For tonight, Risacher must make quick decisions and limit turnovers so the Hawks don’t diminish their own margin for error. It will be a good challenge for the young wing.

One possible bright spot for the Hawks is their play at center against Boston. Onyeka Okongwu was excellent in the last meeting between these two teams, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He has looked better this season as a scorer. This season, he’s shooting a career-best 84% from the charity stripe on a career-high number of attempts per night (5.7) and he’s converting 74.4% of his shots at the rim (up from 74%). last season). He also commits more fouls when he is on offense, indicating an increased level of aggression as a scorer. His defense hasn’t stood out as much, but the potential for him to be the athletic defensive piece he was in 2022-23 is still there.

Dyson Daniels will also need to make an impact on offense in this game. He’s averaging a career-high four attempts from deep and has more than doubled his total attempts from 5.1 to 12.1. This is due to his starting role and he seems to have accepted this role. However, his overall shooting hasn’t been as consistent. Despite some games where the shot falls to him, he’s only shooting a paltry 27.8% from deep this year. This has to be a good matchup for Daniels if the Hawks have any chance of staying in this one. On defense, there is nothing to worry about. He averages a career-high 3.3 steals per game and is the Hawks’ best perimeter defender. I think keeping Daniels on White as the primary defender could be a smart move, especially if Tatum is out.

Ultimately, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Celtics gave Tatum and Horford a night off, but they haven’t been ruled out yet. This article will be updated if this happens.”