The Hawks' Starting Lineup Sounds Like a Fantasy Glitch, But It's an Offensive Buzzsaw
Underdog NBA tweeted: 'Lineup alert: Hawks will start McCollum, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, Johnson, Okongwu on Saturday.'
The Atlanta Hawks are officially rolling out their new favorite starting five of CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu for Saturday's matchup against the Houston Rockets. Underdog NBA confirmed the lineup alert, proving that the Hawks have found their preferred chaotic good rotation.
On paper, this group sounds like the roster you end up with in a fantasy draft when your WiFi drops in the third round. In reality, it is an absolute offensive buzzsaw that is currently terrorizing the Eastern Conference.
If you think this is just a temporary experiment, the math says otherwise. This exact five-man unit played together extensively last season and finished as the third-highest scoring lineup in the league, posting a ridiculous 123.1 points per 100 possessions.
They have carried that exact same energy into the first week of the new season. Atlanta just hung 132 points on the before turning around and dropping 128 on the Charlotte Hornets in a 47-point blowout.
For anyone staring at the betting board or setting daily fantasy lineups, this is the kind of pace that makes game totals very interesting. When you put a veteran scorer like McCollum at the point and surround him with four long, switchable athletes who just want to run, the scoreboard is going to get a workout.
The Hawks host the Rockets late Saturday night. If Houston thinks they are going to walk into State Farm Arena and play a slow, half-court defensive struggle, they are about to get run right out of the building.