A little in the hard for several games and orphans of most of their frames, the Hawks really did not leave favorites this evening for the reception of the Nuggets. However, thanks to a Dejounte Murray leader in scoring and well helped by the Georgian youth, Atlanta manages to overcome the dolphins of the Western Conference.
The injury report is well filled in Atlanta. Trae Young rested for a shoulder sore, John Collins out for at least two weeks and DeAndre ‘Hunter also in the infirmary with a hip problem, it took tinkering to present a major five that stands up tonight against the Nuggets. And it would seem that Nate McMillan succeeded, since the Hawks imposed themselves under the nose and the beard of the double MVP in title, who does not however have a beard, but that is not the subject.
Which five will you ask us? Well, here’s the recipe. First step: shift Dejounte Murray to the position of pure leader. We are thinking of keeping the valiant Clint Capela in the back of the racket. Then, we insert the rookie (and future steal) AJ Griffin, we add a pinch of sophomore – Jalen Johnson will do – and a young forgotten talent (Jarrett Culver like). Mix the systems well, leave to stand for 48 minutes at room temperature and tadaaaa! A surprise victory against Denver!
Once Marmiton has passed, let’s go back to the reasons for this success. The two main ones are on the outside lines. First, Dejounte Murray. Since his arrival in Atlanta, the former Spurs point guard has impressed even the most skeptical of his fit with Ice Trae. If the two guards have proven that they can largely coexist, Murray wins this time without the Georgian star with a full stat sheet: 34 points and 8 assists, all at 13/22 shooting and 4/7 parking. THE boss of this young band with long wings.
Dejounte Murray was hooping tonight in the Hawks’ W:
34 PTS
3 REB
8 AST
4 3PM pic.twitter.com/9IdxjxPY0b— NBA (@NBA) December 3, 2022
The other happy fellow of this duo is none other than the rookie straight out of Duke: AJ Griffin. Drafted in sixteenth position by the Hawks, Griffin was nevertheless expected much higher in the draft by some observers. And it’s true that the young fullback/winger has everything going for him: an excellent shot, a real sense of teamwork and a very complete defense. Some teams having decided not to take the risk of drafting Griffin (considered “injury-prone” by some) must regret it bitterly today, seeing the rookie from Atlanta string together good matches. Moved to post 2 for the meeting of the day, AJ managed to match his career-high of 24 points, first set against the Bucks. The young swingman’s percentages were impeccable tonight (11/16) and Griffin was a big contributor to the Hawks’ win.
AJ Griffin matches a career high with 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting as the Hawks beat the Nuggets in Atlanta. He has excellent instincts, a broad repertoire of shots, and elite touch. Watching him, it’s difficult to believe he’s the third youngest player in the league. pic.twitter.com/tQIHF60FKS
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) December 3, 2022
We will also remember the beautiful copies of Jalen Johnson or Jarrett Culver. Small notable point of the day too, it is the return of Bogdan Bogdanovic from injury. The Serbian swingman was finally able to turn back the parquet floors after a long absence. The player had notably missed the EuroBasket with his selection but also the whole start of the season with his franchise. A reinforcement that will be very useful to the piou-pious to try to stay in the high spheres in the East.
Initially theoretically weakened by the multiple absences of the usual starters, Nate McMillan’s Hawks were able to adapt against the Nuggets, and the solution emerged from the youth. Good news for the Falcons coach, who sees that his options are diversifying, and who could well draw inspiration from the day’s game sheet for the weeks to come…