Hawks Hit the Shuffle Button: Atlanta Rolls Out New Starting Five Against Miami
The Atlanta Hawks are shaking up their starting lineup against the Miami Heat after dropping two straight games to the Houston Rockets.
HotTakes Editorial TeamUpdated 1 min read
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The Atlanta Hawks are officially hitting the shuffle button after a rough Texas two-step.
According to Underdog NBA, Atlanta is rolling out a brand new starting five for Wednesday night's matchup against the Miami Heat: CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu.
"Lineup alert: Hawks will start McCollum, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, Johnson, Okongwu on Wednesday. - @UnderdogNBA"
This lineup looks like someone hit auto-generate on a 2K franchise mode, but it might just be exactly what they need to stop the bleeding.
The Hawks started the season looking like an offensive juggernaut. They hung 132 points on the Orlando Magic and then absolutely nuked the Charlotte Hornets by 47 points.
Then the Houston Rockets showed up and handed them back-to-back reality checks, dropping Atlanta to 2-2 on the year after 121-114 and 120-110 losses.
Now they are pivoting to a guard-heavy rotation that blends McCollum's veteran shooting with the chaotic perimeter defense of Alexander-Walker and Daniels.
For anyone eyeing the prop markets, this rotation shift completely scrambles the board. Okongwu getting the starting nod at center means he is going to have his hands full in the paint, while Johnson continues to operate as the primary athletic engine in the frontcourt.
We will see if this five-man unit can find its rhythm against the Heat. If they lay another egg, the coaching staff might be back to the whiteboard before the Cleveland Cavaliers come to town this weekend.
Key stats
Hawks beat the Hornets by 47 points earlier in the season.
Atlanta lost back-to-back games to Houston 121-114 and 120-110.
What's next
The Hawks face the Miami Heat on Wednesday, followed by a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

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