This is the third of a series of roundtable questions I’m asking the staff here at Peachtree Hoops about the Hawks this upcoming season. The third question: what would be your preferred starting and closing lineup(s) and why?
Wes: I’m a big proponent of putting your best defensive lineup out on the floor to begin the game. You want to set the tone from the opening tip, and get opponents out of rhythm by bringing physicality and hustle. For that reason, I’d go Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker,
Luguentz Dort, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu.
But in my mind, there’s no reason to stray from the lineup that went on a tear down the stretch of last season: CJ McCollum comes in for Dort as a closer on offense to join Alexander-Walker, Daniels, Johnson and Okongwu.
Garrett: Starting lineup: CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu.
Closing lineup: Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Lu Dort, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu.
Graham: I think the starting lineup will lean towards CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. Though, I think there is scope to place Lu Dort instead of Daniels from a ball-handling perspective. You have McCollum, NAW, Daniels, and Johnson all be able to handle the ball, and I can’t help but feel perhaps Quin Snyder may choose to move one ball-handler towards the bench for the second unit, and I think Daniels may be the guy to do that.
I would lean McCollum, but I think Daniels at least provides the second unit with a defensive upside that McCollum is unlikely to, and with others like Kingston Flemmings perhaps needing time to get up to speed defensively, Daniels is a good option for that second unit.
Now, to close the game. Ah… To center on offense or defense… I think your non-negotiables out there are likely to be Onyeka Okongwu, Jalen Johnson, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker – I’d be surprised for many scenario where those three guys aren’t on the floor. As for the remaining two guys, I suspect McCollum will get the nod on most occasions; he showed down the stretch – and in the playoffs – that he’s a guy you can put the ball in his hands and he will go win a game.
I think you’ll often see a split between Daniels and Dort to finish the game, and I think I’ll lean towards Dort. Wiggins is also a guy I think makes a lot of sense as the fifth guy in clutch situations, but if we’re talking a situation with no timeouts available and you have to go both ends, I think it’ll be McCollum, NAW, Dort, Johnson, and Okongwu.
