Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks are off on Friday, but they will be back in action at home on Saturday, hosting the Golden State Warriors. Fortunately for the Hawks, the Warriors are also entering this contest banged up.
Atlanta is without Jalen Johnson, Kobe Bufkin, and Larry Nance Jr.
Golden State will be without Stephen Curry, who is navigating a pelvic injury he aggravated on Thursday in a win over the Toronto Raptors.
“MRI on Warriors star Stephen Curry’s pelvic area confirmed a contusion and no structural damage, sources tell ESPN,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on X on March 21. “Curry is expected to miss the start of Golden State's six-game road trip, beginning Saturday in Atlanta, as he receives treatment over the next few days.”
Curry averaged 27.5 points and shot 38% from beyond the arc in the 22-game span between his last two absences. He boasts a 24.2/6.0/4.4 line while shooting 39.2% from deep on the season.
Curry had 23 points, 8 assists, 4 boards, 2 steals, and 1 block against the Hawks in November.
The Warriors won that game, and they will enter this meeting having won 15 of their last 18 outings. The Hawks are 10-8 in that same span. Both teams are jockeying for postseason positioning as the season winds down.
Hawks still face challenge in Warriors dynamic defensive duo
Curry has been the Warriors’ primary source of offense for the bulk of his career. Draymond Green has long been his defensive counterpart. But this Warriors team offers a different threat that changes the dynamic of how teams can attack them.
That threat is Jimmy Butler, whom the Warriors acquired in a trade with the Miami Heat before the deadline.
They boast the fourth-best defensive rating among duos with at least 300 minutes post-All-Star.
Both players can guard multiple positions on defense. Offensively, they can both do enough of everything to keep opposing defenses honest. Green is shooting just 27.3% from deep since the break and 32.8% on the year. But he shot 35.6% on triples up until the trade deadline.
Similarly, Butler is shooting 30.1% on 3P this season and 24.3% since his arrival at the Warriors at the deadline.
He was connecting at a 36.1% clip before the trade from the Heat, though.
It would be rather unfortunate for the Hawks if they allowed Butler and Green to regain their pre-trade deadline efficiency from long distance in Curry’s absence. The Hawks will enter the contest allowing opponents to shoot 37.3% from outside since the All-Star break.