Atlanta Hawks vs. Charlotte Bobcats preview: Atlanta resting up before playoffs

Mar 17, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Hawks center

(31) goes up for a shot over Charlotte Bobcats center

(0) during the first half at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

After clinching the playoffs against the Miami Heat over the weekend, the Atlanta Hawks (37-43) are going to start resting up their starters as the playoffs draw near. Tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats, the Hawks are going to be without several of their better players:

Those three are starters every night if healthy, so more than half of the team is going to be filled out by bench players the entire night. This is perfectly fine, because the Hawks are locked into the playoffs and there is no point in risking injuries to these key players. Here’s what the starting lineup is going to look like:

It’s good to see that Antic is back in the starting lineup after missing Saturday’s game because of ankle soreness, and it will be a big deal if he can get passed the injury before the playoffs start. I’d expect to see a bit more out of Dennis Schroder tonight than normal as well, as Teague is another player deserving of some rest before the playoffs.

Depending on who the Bobcats throw out tonight, this could be an extremely ugly offensive showing for the Hawks, but as we’ve mentioned this game really doesn’t matter.

Vegas has the Atlanta Hawks as 5-point home underdogs in this one, which is fine considering the lineup they are working with. Be sure to follow us on twitter (@ATLBeatBlog) for more information leading up to the game and also check back here later tonight for a full game recap.

Date: April 14, 2014

Tip-Off Time: 7:30 p.m.

TV Channel: SportSouth (Local in Atlanta), NBA League Pass

Radio: 92.9 FM (Atlanta Flagship), Atlanta Hawks Radio Network Affiliates

Live Stream: League Pass Broadband