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The Atlanta Hawks head to the Spectrum Center on Wednesday, October 25 to take on the Charlotte Hornets in the season opener for both teams. Hawks vs Hornets Live Stream: How to Watch Online for Free
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The NBA season opens up in the Southeast Division when the Atlanta Hawks visit the Charlotte Hornets. Atlanta went 41-41 last season and 36-45-1 ATS, finishing 7th in the East, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Celtics. Charlotte went 27-55 and 37-43-2 ATS, finishing 14th in the East and missing the playoffs. Charlotte took three out of four games last season against Atlanta. The Hawks are currently listed as 3-point road favorites. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 EST from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
The Atlanta Hawks continue to build around point guard Trae Young. The 25-year-old point guard has been labeled underrated and overrated throughout his career, but last year's averages of 26.2 PPG and 10.2 APG speak for themselves. Young is the centerpiece of this Atlanta attack and may be asked to do more after the team traded John Collins to Utah. Utah sent Atlanta a 2nd round pick and Rudy Gay, who the team subsequently cut. Young's production last season was high, but his three-point percentage dropped from 38.2% in 2021-2022 down to 33.5% last season.
The Hawks are still hoping their backcourt can take another leap this season. Dejounte Murray made the All-Star Game last season and finished the year with 20.5 PPG, 6.1 APG and 5.3 RPG. Murray has more length and is a better defender than Young, so the Hawks hope their talents can pair together for more success this season. Atlanta has a proven center in Clint Capela, the 6'10 and 256-pound center averaged a double-double last season with 12.0 PPG and 11.0 RPG. He finished fifth in the league in rebounding, and is a defensive presence around the rim. Deandre Hunter will fill the small forward role after starting every game he played last season and averaged 15.4 PPG. Onyeka Okongwu is a 6'9 22-year-old and may be asked to take Collins' spot in the starting lineup, unless Atlanta decides to go small and play Hunter at the four with Bogan Bogdanovic stepping into the starting spot.
Atlanta finished last season 9th in the league in tempo according to ESPN's pace factor. They were 3rd in the league in scoring with 118.4 points per game, and their defense ranked 26th in the league by allowing 118.1 points per. Atlanta's top offseason additions were Patty Mills, Wes Matthews and rookie Kobe Bufkin out of Michigan.
The Charlotte Hornets are trying to build for the future with a young core, but they need more of the young players to turn into actual NBA commodities outside of Ball. LaMelo showed flashes of brilliance last season, but only played 36 games due to injuries. When Ball played he led the team in points and assists with 23.3 PPG and 8.4 APG. Ball has the creativity to be a centerpiece for a team with multiple scorers, but the Hornets are still looking for the additional pieces.
It is doubtful that Charlotte will play Miles Bridges any time soon. The troubled forward received a criminal summons after another domestic violence issue, and will not be playing against Atlanta. The Hornets selected Brandon Miller out of Alabama with the 2nd pick of the draft over Scoot Henderson, in a move they hope pays off. Miller is being sued for a wrongful death accusation, but will likely play in the opener. Terry Rozier will be a staple in the lineup again after averaging 21.1 PPG and 5.1 APG last season. Gordon Hayward is hoping to remain healthy this season and hold on to his starting spot on the wing. Centers Mark Williams and Nick Richards will battle for playing time, while PJ Washington will likely get his opportunities as a stretch four.
Charlotte finished last season 8th in pace of play. They finished last season ranked 27th in scoring with just 111.0 points per game, and their defense was ranked 22nd allowing 117.2 per game. Brandon Miller is Charlotte's biggest new player, they also added rookie Nick Smith Jr. out of Arkansas. Their biggest losses were losing Kelly Oubre to Philly and releasing Kai Jones.
This is a relatively small line for a team with much more talent. The Hawks have now had a full offseason to prepare with the Trae Young and Dejounte Murray backcourt. Both players are young and coming off strong seasons, and should be able to start off hot. LaMelo only played in 36 games last season, and may need some adjustment time to feel right on the court again. Dejounte Murray is a lockdown defender and can be used to shut down either Ball or Rozier in spurts. Brandon Miller will be set to make his NBA debut, but will not find it easy to score on the Hawks' frontcourt consisting of Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu. The Hawks were the better team last season, and the young Hornets will not be ready to win on opening night.
On the second day of the 2023-24 Season of NBA, the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets are set to clash. It is a crucial game for Atlanta as they were 39-49-1 ATS last season, the sixth-worst spread mark in the NBA. Charlotte were just a bit better at 37-43 ATS. The Hawks made the playoffs last season by pushing the Celtics to six games in the first round. But they failed ultimately. Charlotte finished second to last in the Eastern Conference in 2022-23.
John Collins has quit Atlanta, but the Hawks brought back players like Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Their offseason additions included Patty Mills and Wesley Matthews. With these acquisitions, Atlanta have a plethora of strong shooters.
The Hornets suffered many injuries last season. Though they hope for a healthier roster, four of their top five leading scorers from last season return, with Kelly Oubre Jr. departing. Charlotte acquired Brandon Miller out of Alabama.
The Hornets have won three out of four games against the Hawks in the head-to-head series. They won their first matchup last year when Charlotte won 126-109 suffering more injuries as the season progressed.
The Hornets performed miserably last year and struggled to score points. They were ranked fourth-worst in the league with 111.0 points per game. However, they did better on defense, ranking 22nd by giving up 117.2 points per contest. With 25.1 assists per contest, the Hornets ranked 17th in the NBA.
Charlotte did not perform well either, they were ranked second-worst in the NBA with 46.2 rebounds allowed per contest. They got 44.5 boards per game, ranked ninth in the league.
The Hawks ended last season 41-41, good for 7th in the East, and 36-46 against the spread (ATS) while exiting the playoffs in the 1st round after a 4-2 series defeat against the Celtics. Atlanta finished 17-24 on the road during the 2022-23 campaign. It is led by G Trae Young and enters Wednesday without any notable injuries.
Charlotte finished 27-55 last season, good for 14th in the East while going 37-42-3 ATS. The Hornets are led by G LaMelo Ball who played in just 36 games last season but averaged 23.3 points per game (ppg) when he did play. Charlotte was just 13-28 at home last season.
Atlanta is a moderate 3.5-point favorite against Charlotte when the Hawks take the court against the Hornets on Wednesday. The matchup’s point total is 235.5.
The Hawks will look to get off to a better start this season. Unfortunately, they have struggled in recent seasons to start the year and will look to change that. Coach Quinn Snyder will look to implement his system after a full offseason. Significantly, he will have to find a way to get the best out of superstar Trae Young, who averaged 26.2 points, 10.2 assists, and three rebounds per game in 2022-2023. Clint Capella is another focal player who averaged 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 2022-2023. Also, the Hawks welcome back Dejounte Murray, who averaged 20.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Bogdan Bogdanovic also returns after averaging 14 points per game.
The Hornets will look to stay healthy as they play this opener. First, there is superstar LaMello Ball, who averaged 23.3 points and 8.4 assists per game through just 36 games. Kelly Oubre Jr. averaged 21.1 points per game for the Hornets. Meanwhile, Mark Williams, the 15th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, averaged 10.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and looks to take the next step in his development. P.J. Washington averaged 20.3 points for the Hornets. Likewise, Gordon Hayword hopes to stay healthy.