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Hawks Frontcourt Depth Crumbles As Landale Out, Johnson Fights
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- Hawks Frontcourt Depth Crumbles As Landale Out, Johnson Fights
Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks are staring down a real crisis before they even tip off on Monday night. Jock Landale has been ruled out with a left hip strain, and Jalen Johnson sits as questionable with a left ankle sprain. According to the Hawks injury report, Jalen Johnson is listed as questionable while Jock Landale, Mouhamed Gueye and Henri Veesaar are ruled out. Four key big men either cannot play or are uncertain about playing.
Landale played only 1 minute and 22 seconds before leaving the game against New Orleans. His absence leaves a huge hole behind Onyeka Okongwu. Quin Snyder must decide which player will start at center if Johnson is unavailable.
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Young Gamble or Safe Bet
The coaching staff might have to turn to Asa Newell or rookie Zuby Ejiofor to start. In the defeat, Newell logged just over 18 minutes, tallying 13 points alongside four rebounds. He shot 1-for-6 from three but showed he can score when pushed into action. Yet relying on a second-year forward to start at center is a risky move for a team that needs defense. Yahoo Sports notes that Newell would present defensive challenges if forced to start. He might help on the glass, but can he stop the league's best big men?
Lu Dort is another option to jump into the starting lineup. This would make the frontcourt very small and leave Atlanta vulnerable on the inside. The Hawks already struggle to defend the paint. New Orleans scored 66 points in the paint during the last game. Losing Landale and potentially Johnson makes that problem worse. The team cannot afford to get blown out again like they did in the first quarter against the Pelicans.
Fixing the Shooting First
Even if Johnson plays, the offense looks broken. The Hawks connected on only 8 of 46 three-point attempts in the loss. That is 17% from deep. CJ McCollum led the team with 14 points, but the rest of the roster could not find a rhythm. Nickeil Alexander-Walker missed all seven of his three-point attempts.
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Next up for Atlanta is Indiana, a squad missing its star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton. The Hawks must still determine their rotation. According to Peachtree Hoops , the departure of both Johnson and Landale from one game raises understandable concern. Although the roster gained depth during the offseason, losing several contributors simultaneously strains those resources.
