Hawks Unleash High-Octane Starting Lineup Against Hornets
The Atlanta Hawks are starting CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu against the Hornets, leaning into a lineup that posted historic offensive numbers last season.
HotTakes Editorial TeamUpdated 1 min read
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The Atlanta Hawks are rolling out their high-octane starting five for Friday's matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, and it is officially time to respect the math. Underdog NBA reported that Atlanta is officially starting CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu.
If you are wondering why a defensive stopper like Lu Dort is sitting on the bench to start the game, you clearly have not looked at the offensive splits. This specific five-man unit is basically a cheat code for scoring points, operating like a video game offense set to rookie difficulty.
"Underdog NBA tweeted: 'Lineup alert: Hawks will start McCollum, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, Johnson, Okongwu on Friday.'"
Last season, this exact group was the third-highest scoring lineup in the league among units that played at least 15 games together. They poured in 123.1 points per 100 possessions, which is the kind of offensive efficiency that makes opposing coaches want to throw their clipboards into the sun.
When you swap McCollum out of this group, the offensive rating drops by nearly 10 points per 100 possessions. Keeping the veteran point guard on the floor allows Alexander-Walker and Daniels to play off the ball, which is exactly where they thrive.
There was a brief social media panic this week that Daniels was dealing with an arm injury, but insiders have confirmed he is fully healthy. That is terrible news for Charlotte, especially considering Alexander-Walker just dropped 31 points in a recent outing.
Atlanta is already coming off back-to-back track meets, hanging 135 points on the Dallas Mavericks and 132 on the Orlando Magic. They are currently playing basketball like the shot clock is only eight seconds long.
Anyone looking at the betting total for Friday night should probably factor in that the Hawks have zero interest in grinding out a low-scoring rock fight. If this starting five stays healthy, they are going to try and run the Hornets completely out of the gym.
Key stats
Key statsThe starting five averaged 123.1 points per 100 possessions last season.
This unit was the 3rd highest scoring 5-man lineup in the NBA among those with at least 15 games played.
The Hawks scored 135 points against Dallas and 132 points against Orlando in their last two games.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker recently scored 31 points in a game.
What's next
The Hawks will look to push the pace and score heavily against the Hornets on Friday night, forcing opponents to try and keep up with their elite offensive efficiency.
