Hawks Hit the Shuffle Button: Atlanta Rolls Out New Starting Five Against Miami
Lineup alert: Hawks will start McCollum, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, Johnson, Okongwu on Wednesday. - @UnderdogNBA
The Atlanta Hawks are officially hitting the shuffle button after a rough Texas two-step.
According to Underdog NBA, Atlanta is rolling out a brand new starting five for Wednesday night's matchup against the : CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu.
This lineup looks like someone hit auto-generate on a 2K franchise mode, but it might just be exactly what they need to stop the bleeding.
The Hawks started the season looking like an offensive juggernaut. They hung 132 points on the and then absolutely nuked the Charlotte Hornets by 47 points.
Then the Houston Rockets showed up and handed them back-to-back reality checks, dropping Atlanta to 2-2 on the year after 121-114 and 120-110 losses.
Now they are pivoting to a guard-heavy rotation that blends McCollum's veteran shooting with the chaotic perimeter defense of Alexander-Walker and Daniels.
For anyone eyeing the prop markets, this rotation shift completely scrambles the board. Okongwu getting the starting nod at center means he is going to have his hands full in the paint, while Johnson continues to operate as the primary athletic engine in the frontcourt.
We will see if this five-man unit can find its rhythm against the Heat. If they lay another egg, the coaching staff might be back to the whiteboard before the Cleveland Cavaliers come to town this weekend.