Which Atlanta Hawks lineup is best suited for playoff basketball?
The Atlanta Hawks (42-39) know postseason play is all about timing and matchups. Just last season they rode the NBA’s third-best record from March 1 on to earn a playoff berth and, then, all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. They took down the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers before, ultimately falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
This season they have rarely looked like the team that effectively ended Ben Simmons’ career in Philly. Even some of their best performances this year have been track meets where, if they aren’t scoring efficiently, they have a hard time getting wins.
Forward John Collins has not suffered any setbacks but is still some ways away if he even returns at all. We won’t get to see what was their best lineup at one point for some time yet.
They still need to identify the groups that should be most effective for postseason play.
The Atlanta Hawks have lineups that should fare well in the playoffs when the pace slows down
That lineup with Collins alongside Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, Kevin Huerter, and Trae Young sported a plus-30.8 net rating that was tops among their groupings with at least 25 minutes of floor time. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen this lineup together for over a month as Collins has battled finger and foot injuries.
With him out of the lineup, the Hawks have gotten solid production out of Danilo Gallinari who has averaged 14.5 points with 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists across nine appearances with seven starts over the last 15 games.
Their best lineup in that span has been a bench unit of Gallinari alongside Bogdanovic, Onyeka Okongwu, Lou Williams, and Delon Wright which sports a plus-18.4 net rating in that span.
It also has the third-best net rating of the season at plus-23.5, per Cleaning the Glass.
Most importantly, they have a plus-31.4 net rating in the halfcourt this season with the team’s best defensive rating to complement its fourth-best offensive rating.
The current starting lineup’s ( with Gallinari in Collins’ place) net rating is minus-3.9 over this 15-game stretch, per NBA.com. But it also sports a plus-4.6 net rating in the halfcourt, per Cleaning the Glass.
Since he last played on March 11, the Hawks have gone 10-5 including their tough loss. Their tough loss to the Miami Heat on the road on April 8 only served to add intrigue to the final game.
The Hawks will likely need a win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday to maintain homecourt advantage over the Charlotte Hornets who face off against the Washington Wizards.
The Hornets are not making life any easier for the Atlanta Hawks. dark. Next
They also still have a shot at the eight-seed by securing a win. But only if the Cleveland Cavaliers also lose to the Milwaukee Bucks who have listed several players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, as ‘DOUBTFUL’.