NBA Picks 2/9 – Atlanta Hawks @ Philadelphia 76ers

NBA Picks 2/9 – Atlanta Hawks @ Philadelphia 76ers

by Thomas Quaynor for Wannamakeabet.com

The Atlanta Hawks (22-29) visit the Philadelphia 76ers (30-20) tonight at the Wells Fargo Center on NBATV. Atlanta is a 4-point favorite and the total is 241.5. This is the fourth and final meeting between these teams, Philadelphia leads the season series 2-1, winning the first two games by double-digits and dropping the last meeting 139-132 in overtime on Jan. 10. Philadelphia has won five of the last six head-to-head matchups against Atlanta. 

Atlanta is coming off a 125-117 loss at Boston on Wednesday night, it was their second straight loss. Philadelphia enters tonight game reeling after a 127-104 blowout loss at home to the Golden State Warriors, that was their third straight home loss by at least 15 points. The 76ers have dropped seven of their last eight games since reigning MVP Joel Embiid went down with an assortment of injuries which ultimately resulted in a torn meniscus that will keep him out for at least a month.

GAME STORYLINES: ATLANTA

After making a surprising run to the Eastern Conference finals as the fifth seed in 2021 behind the spectacular play of star guard Trae Young, the Atlanta Hawks seemed poised to become one of the top teams in the East. The following two seasons brought disappointment as a 43-39 finish in 2022 and a 41-41 finish last season resulted in quick first-round playoff exits. Atlanta trading for Spurs All-Star guard Dejounte Murray prior to the 2022-2023 has appeared to backfire as they finished with two fewer wins and now find themselves 7 games below .500 at 22-29. On paper, the backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray should be one of the best in the NBA resulting into a lot of wins for Atlanta but it hasn’t happened in the one and a half seasons they’ve played together.

Atlanta’s biggest issue has been defense, they give up 124 points per game which ranks last in the NBA. The Hawks are also near the bottom of the NBA in opponents field goal percentage and forced turnovers per game. Injuries to swingman De’Andre Hunter and 22-year-old forward Jalen Johnson could be big reasons for Atlanta’s defensive struggles. The oft-injured Hunter has missed 23 games due to a right knee injury and has been on a minutes restriction since his return on Jan. 30. When healthy, Hunter is one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA. Johnson has missed 14 games with a wrist injury but he’s been one of the few bright spots for Atlanta this year as he’s gone from averaging about 5 points and 4 rebounds per game last season to 15.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals this year.

Despite the disappointing record, Atlanta’s backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray continue to put up great numbers. Young is averaging 27.1 points, 10.9 assists and 1.5 steals through 46 games. He also has 32 double-doubles on the season which ranks 6th in the NBA and was named an All-Star this season for the third time in his career. Murray is averaging 21.4 points, 5.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor. Guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (17 pts, 3.2 rebs, 1.3 stls), forward Saddiq Bey(13.3 pts, 6.6 rebs) and the twin-tower post combo of Clint Capella (11.5 pts, 10.6 rebs, 1.5 blks, 57.5 FG%) and Onyeka Okongwu (10pts, 6.8 rebs, 1.1 blks, 61.1 FG%) are also key contributors. Capella has missed the last two games with a left adductor leg strain and will likely miss tonight’s game.

GAME STORYLINES: PHILADELPHIA

Through the first 42 games of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers were flying high at 29-13 as reigning MVP Joel Embiid was averaging career highs of 35.3 points and 5.7 assists, along with 11.3 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.1 steals. He scored a whopping 70 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a win against visiting San Antonio on Jan. 22. Unfortunately, the 76ers season has taken a turn for the worse since Embiid’s 70-point outburst, knee soreness forced him to miss 2 of the next 3 games and then he suffered an injury to his meniscus in his left knee at Golden State on Jan. 30. Embiid is expected to miss the next 6-8 weeks. Philadelphia has gone 1-7 during this stretch without Embiid and have been blown out in three straight home games.

With Embiid out for the foreseeable future, explosive guard Tyrese Maxey will be expected to carry a much bigger load for the 76ers. Maxey was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve this season, his first All-Star game nod. The 23-year-old, fourth-year guard is averaging 25.6 points, 6.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1 steal per game, all are career highs. Maxey scored a career-best 51 points (with a season high 7 three-pointers) in a 127-124 win at Utah on Feb.1, Philadelphia’s lone win during their 8-game cold spell. 

Forwards Tobias Harris (17.8 pts, 6 rebs, 3.3 asts, 1 stl, 51.4 FG%) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (13.5 pts, 4.3 rebs, 1.1 stls) will also be counted on to fill the scoring void with Embiid out. Paul Reed will serve as Joel Embiid’s replacement at center. He’s averaging 6 points and 5 rebounds overall this season but 10.5 pts, 6.7 rebs, 1.2 blks and 1 stl across 13 starts in place of Embiid. The team may be able to tread water without Embiid if Reed can at least maintain those averages as a starter. The 76ers should get a boost when starting point guard De’Anthony Melton soon returns from a back injury, he’s been out since Jan. 12. The 25-year-old Melton was averaging career-highs of 11.8 pts and 3.8 asts, along with 4 rebs and 1.6 stls through 33 starts. 

Philadelphia acquired Indiana sharpshooter Buddy Hield and Milwaukee point guard Cameron Payne during yesterday’s trade deadline. The 31-year-old Hield averaged about 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists as a part-time starter with Indiana across 52 games this season but he’s a career 16 ppg scorer and a 40.1 percent three-point shooter in his 8 NBA seasons. Payne is a quick, playmaking guard who averaged 6.2 points and 2.3 assists off the bench for Milwaukee this season and has spent most of his 9-year career as a back-up. 

THE PICK

The better team is getting points at home?? Take those 4 points and the 76ers