Atlanta Hawks vs Utah Jazz: Starting Lineups

On By Littum

Atlanta and Utah are getting ready to tip off in Salt Lake City, and both teams have just revealed their starting lineups.

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G – Dyson Daniels

F – Zaccharie Risacher

F – Vit Krejci

C – Clint Capela

G – Collin Sexton

G – Isiah Collier

F – Lauri Markkanen

F – Johnny Juzang

C – Walker Kessler

After losing three straight games, the Atlanta Hawks hope to close out their road trip strong. They have two games left on their longest road trip of the season, and one of them is tonight against the Utah Jazz. Atlanta will have to overcome the absence of Jalen Johnson, but Utah will also be without key players tonight. Keyonte George, John Collins and Jordan Clarkson are all out tonight for the Jazz, while Lauri Markkanen is questionable. Utah has won two games in a row, but they have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. The Hawks could use a win tonight to get back on track, but they will have to do so without their All-Star caliber forward.

Our very own Rohan Raman previewed the game earlier today:

“Coming into tonight’s game, the Hawks are 7th in the NBA in PPG, 15th in FG%, 19th in 3PA, 18th in 3P%, 4th in FTA, 24th in turnover and 6th place in rebounding. Cleaning the glassAtlanta is 15th in points per game. 100 possessions, 18th in effective field goal percentage, 19th in turnover percentage, 7th in offensive rebound percentage and 8th in free throw rate.

Currently, the Hawks are 27th in PPG allowed, 25th in field goal percentage allowed, 30th in three-point attempts allowed and 30th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 17th in points allowed per game. 100 possessions and ranked 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

The Jazz’s offense is solidly in the middle of the NBA and penetrates the glass, but they struggle to maintain possession. Utah is 19th in the NBA in PPG, 17th in FG%, 11th in 3PA, 15th in 3P%, 8th in FTA, 30th in turnovers and 8th in rebounding. Sore Cleaning the glassJazz is number 20 in points per 100 possessions, 14th in effective field goal percentage, 30th in turnover percentage, 3rd in offensive rebound percentage and 4th in free throw rate.

On defense, Utah ranks 26th in PPG allowed, 26th in field goal percentage allowed, 27th in three-point attempts allowed, and 17th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Jazz are 28th in points allowed per game. 100 possessions and 22nd in effective field goal percentage allowed.

The key to this game will be keeping the Jazz off the boards and taking advantage of their propensity to turnover. I think the matchup between Kessler and Clint Capela/Onyeka Okongwu will be key because Utah thrives on second chances. If Capela/Okongwu can hold their own against the seven-footer, it will be difficult for a Jazz team with so much offensive firepower to keep pace.

Zachary Risache

January 3, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) moves the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Although Collin Sexton is a difficult matchup due to his strength and shooting ability, Dyson Daniels should be able to coax him into a few turnovers. I expect Sexton to play a lot as the ball handler and Daniels are tasked with shutting him down.

This is a game that I am very interested to see if Risacher can thrive in. The Jazz really don’t have many good wing defenders and they will be focused on not letting Young beat them. If they decide to use that strategy, I expect Risacher to be able to take advantage of a lack of defensive attention on him.

On defense, the Hawks should be able to shoot the Jazz out of this game. Getting Bogdanovic back means they’ll have their best two high-volume shooters (Hunter and Bogdanovic) in the lineup and ready to go against a defense that doesn’t have the personnel to limit them. Mathews has also reintegrated himself into the lineup after struggling for a significant portion of the year and looked better as a quick-trigger shooter from deep.”

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