Atlanta Hawks: Team Seeks First Win Versus Grizzlies

The Atlanta Hawks return to action on Friday as they travel to the Grind House to take on the 0-1 Memphis Grizzlies. The team will attempt to help coach Lloyd Pierce earn his first NBA victory.

The Atlanta Hawks head to Memphis for their second game of the season. The game against the Grizzlies, will mark the second of three road games, in which Atlanta will be the opposition for a team’s home opener. That’s always a difficult scenario to play in, because every fan base is at a frenzy on opening night.

The matchup was labeled in the offseason as one of our most intriguing matchups to watch. You can read the article here.

Trae Young against the experienced Mike Conley Jr. at point guard will be the most intriguing matchup to watch for when, the Hawks play against the Grizzlies. Conley should provide a nice early season measuring stick for Trae Young. Conley is very talented but shouldn’t overwhelm Trae physically.

Mike Conley Jr., long believed to be one of the NBA’s most underrated point guards, is coming back off an injury that limited him to just 12 games last season. He’s just  two years removed from a career best year, in which he averaged 20.5 points and 6.3 assists.

Center Alex Len will have the tall task of slowing All Star Marc Gasol. Gasol is a two-time All Star that averaged 17.2 points and 8.3 rebounds last season.

Alex Len is hoping to hold onto his starting spot. He’s stating in place of the injured Dewayne Dedmon, but his early season play could go a long way in him earning a permanent starting spot.

Chandler Parsons of the Grizzlies will have his hands full attempting to contain the red-hot Taurean Prince. Parsons like Conley is attempting to rebound from injury. Chandler only played in

Taurean Prince who averaged 19 points after the All Star game last season, continued his hot shooting, leading the Hawks with 21 points in game one. Prince has become one of the NBA’s most prolific spot up shooters. He also showed improved shooting off the dribble.

Hawks fans will also get their first regular season look at rookie backup PF/C Jaren Jackson Jr, the fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft. Jackson Jr was a guy that most pundits projected to be drafted by Atlanta. He made eight three pointers against the Hawks in a Summer League game.

The Hawks must shoot the three ball better than the 27.8% that they shot on opening night if they want to get their first win of the 2018-19 season.

Passing will also be a key component, as the 60 points in the paint that the Hawks scored on opening night, will be difficult to duplicate against the Grizzlies’ interior defense. The Atlanta Hawks also must cut the turnovers down below 15.

If the Hawks can do those things as well as slow down Marc Gasol, the team should earn their first of many wins in the Lloyd Pierce, Trae Young era.

The Atlanta Hawks versus the Memphis Grizzlies can be watched on Fox Sports Southeast. Start time is 8PM Eastern Standard Time. The game can be seen locally in the Atlanta area on 92.9 The Game.

Do you think the Hawks will win at Memphis? Leave your predictions in the comments below. Keep a browser window open to ATL All Day for Atlanta Hawks coverage and analysis. We will also have in-depth content on all of the Atlanta area sports teams. As always we appreciate our readers.