The Atlanta Hawks have figured something out. Jalen Johnson’s ascension and the arrival of Kristaps Porzingis makes it all the easier, but the team has started to cement a play style and identity that fits their talent and maximizes their effectiveness. Even without star and noted Pistons killer Trae Young in the lineup, Atlanta’s offense has been deadly.
Detroit will need to use the imposing, physical nature of its defense to slow Atlanta down and hope that sticking them in a deliberate half-court setting exposes some flaws in a high-powered offense. Otherwise, this could be a long night for the Pistons.
**When:** 7 p.m. ET
**Where:** Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
**Watch:** Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
**Odds:** Pistons -9.5
This is largely a matchup of like on like. Everything the Pistons like to do, the Hawks like to do, with a few notable differences. Atlanta’s season really began after Trae Young went down on Oct. 29. Since then, the Hawks have fielded one of the most efficient offensive attacks in the NBA, and that has largely to do with their desire to get out and run.
Atlanta is second in the league in fastbreak points and third in points off turnovers since Young went down. They also share the ball prodigiously. Atlanta has five players who play serious minutes with an assist percentage above 15, and five rotation guys who have an assist-to-turnover ratio better than 2.25.
Sharing the ball when you have a man advantage is easier, and there is no question in my mind the Hawks’ game plan is simple — pressure the ball, force turnovers, get out and run, don’t let Detroit guard in a half-court setting.
Making things a bit more difficult in theory is that the Hawks are playing in the second half of a back-to-back, and last night’s game was a 142-134 dogfight on the road in Philadelphia. The Hawks prevailed behind Johnson’s career-high 41 points and a great game from one-time Pistons free agent target Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who scored 34.
The Pistons need to protect the ball and own the glass. The Hawks don’t really care about offensive rebounds — their bigs space the floor, and their wings run back at the earliest opportunity — and Detroit needs to make them pay for that neglect.
Detroit, wings included, must crash the glass and get easier putbacks and get points on the board.
Cade Cunningham must dictate the tempo of the game, enforce his will on offense, and, most importantly, not get loose with the ball. Dyson Daniels will likely get the assignment to guard Cade, and he loves to poke the ball away and generate turnovers.
If Jaden Ivey doesn’t seem up to the task of being a primary ball handler and safety valve alongside Cunningham tonight, I’d love to see JB Bickerstaff move early to get Daniss Jenkins on the floor for some serious minutes, and a big chunk of those minutes playing with Cunningham.
While there is a log jam at guard, it might be a bit cleared up tonight, for better and worse, as Duncan Robinson is likely to miss the game with an ankle issue. Caris LeVert should be back, but I still want Jenkins on the floor for his impact on both ends.
Cade Cunningham, Caris LeVert, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Zachary Risacher, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu
Which teams would you consider the top four teams in the Eastern Conference?
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* [Detroit Pistons Game Day](/detroit-pistons-game-day)
* [Pistons Previews](/pistons-game-previews)