Is tonight’s game against the Hawks a must-win? Conventionally speaking, far from it.

The Knicks have struggled to maintain any kind of consistency early on, looking formidable and cohesive on some nights while being sloppy, stagnant and defensively weak on other nights. But everyone, at least the patient fans, knew this would be a work in progress, and it’s only six games. A match on Wednesday evening in early November should not carry that much weight. But look at the schedule before us.

Pending the Knicks are the Bucks, Pacers and Sixers. And yes, we are well aware that these three teams have a combined record of 5-15. But that record is no indication of how good any of these teams can be on any given night.

The Bucks recently lost to the undefeated Cavaliers by just two points despite missing Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Pacers just defeated last season’s two finals teams, the Celtics and Mavericks, in the span of three games and will likely be looking to avenge their embarrassing loss to the Knicks from a few weeks ago. And the Sixers, looking for revenge themselves, just got Paul George back and could very well welcome back Joel Embiid when they play the Knicks in the NBA Cup opener.

Additionally, even once the “tough” portion of the schedule is over, the Knicks will face a Bulls team, followed by back-to-back games against the Nets. Neither team strikes fear in anyone, but both have overachieved so far this season and there’s no guarantee the Knicks will win all of those games either.

New York, given their recent success against most of those teams, could look proven and improved. But it would do them good to take care of business tonight against a rebuilding 3-5 Hawks team. Luckily for the Knicks, the numbers and matchup suggest they have a good shot at that.

Atlanta has struggled mightily defensively and is coming into the rankings tonight 28th in the league in points given up per game at a whopping 121.9 PPG, and also last in the league with an opponent three-point percentage of 39.8%. However, they were much better offensively. They rank in the top 10 in points per game, free throws made per game and assist%, but a lot of that seems to be somewhat aided by their fast pace (third fastest in the league) as they rank in the bottom half. of the competition. overall offensive rating.

That bodes well for a Knicks team that is the slowest team in the league. If they can control the pace of the game, stay out of foul trouble (something they’ve been good at), and take advantage of the Hawks’ poor defense, New York should be able to win this one easily.

Projected starters

All eyes will be on the point guard matchup as Jalen Brunson takes on Trae Young. The latter has achieved some decent counting statistics, averaging 23.9 PPG, and a class-leading 11 APG. But he struggles with efficiency, shooting just 39.2% from the field and 30.7% from three.

Young is joined by third-year standout Dyson Daniels, who has made a big leap in his first season as a Hawk. Despite starting just 27 games in his first two seasons as a Pelican, the 6-foot-1 guard has emerged as a near-ideal defensive companion for Young with his ferocious defense and ability to play off the ball. He is currently averaging 12.5 PPG and 4 RPG, and will be the one guarding Brunson most of the night.

Jalen Johnson starts at small forward and, as many expected, has taken another step this season. So far he is posting career highs across the board, averaging 18.4 PPG, 10 RPG and 5.1 APG while shooting 43% from the field.

Rookie Zaccharie Risacher, who was the number one pick last summer, has started six of their eight games and will do so again tonight. Like most rookies, the Frenchman has had his ups and downs, scoring fewer than eight points in four of their eight games while scoring just once. 35.4% from the field on the season. That said, he is coming off back-to-back double-digit scoring games.

Clint Capela, who has been on the trade block seemingly forever, remains a Hawk and remains the starter. But he’s not even the center of this team that averages the most minutes per game. That honor goes to 23-year-old Onyeka Okongwu, who averages 1.7 minutes per game more than veteran Capela.

Injury report

Atlanta: Trae Young (ribs) probable, De’Andre Hunter (knee) questionable, David Roddy (illness) questionable, Cody Zeller (personal) out, Seth Lundy (ankle) out

New York: Cameron Payne (hamstring) doubtful; Mitchell Robinson (foot), Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) and Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) all remain disabled

Prediction

Despite being just 3-5, the Hawks are doing some things right. They play at a fast pace, are adept at making mistakes and are led by a point guard who on any given night can take over and win a game by himself. Meanwhile, New York is still trying to cement their identity as they try to gel and that has resulted in them struggling to consistently look like the best version of themselves. But the Knicks just have a lot more talent and experience. Additionally, the Hawks have had a tendency to play in drop coverage, something that the Pacers, Heat and Pistons all did with limited success against the Knicks. If New York can attack that drop coverage with better play from Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, they should be able to take advantage of the Hawks’ terrible three-point defense and end their road trip with a comfortable win to improve to 4-3. .

Game details

WHO: New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks

When: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 7:30 PM ET

Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

Watch: MSG Network, NBA League Pass

To follow: @ptknicksblog