Toronto Raptors vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction: Pretty much the same story for both teams

How quickly are we into the NBA midseason period! There is no doubt that there are going to be a bunch of trades soon. Let us see if it will be a quiet or a wild period where we can see major shifts as various teams look for help or look to prepare for the long term. Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks have been figuring in trade rumors and they are going to meet here in an inter-Conference battle. 

Recent Performances

The Raptors come into this game after defeating the Hornets 124:114 despite a 35 points performance by Pascal Siakam. Toronto has won three in a row which has brought just a slight improvement to the record with 23 losses and 19 wins. The Hawks come into this game after defeating the Pacers as John Collins made a tip-in shot at the buzzer. This was the third win in five games for the Hawks but they have a so-so record with 22 losses and 20 wins, which is a big downturn from how they started the season

Players’ Performances

The Raptors have been highly dependent upon Pascal Siakam is having his best scoring season, averaging around 26 points and also having his best assists performance, averaging around 6 a game. On the other hand, the Hawks have been led by Trae Young who has been scoring around 27 points and also dishing out a ton of assists. As for the supporting cast, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr, and Fred Van Vleet are all averaging around 18 a game. As for the Hawks, Dejounte Murray is averaging around 20 whereas Bogdan, Hunter, and Collins averaging around 15 points.

Team Stats

The Raptors are shooting the second-worst percentage in the league(around 45%) and making the third-least three-pointers(10.8). Their defense has struggled unlike last season and they have been bottom ten in both the opposition’s field goal percentage(48.8%) and long-range shooting percentage(36.6%). The Hawks’ long-range shooting has been struggling too and they shot around just 33.6% while making the second-least three-pointers per game. The Hawks have also struggled as a rebounding team, giving up the most rebounds per game(around 47).

• Raptors: OUT: Otto Porter Jr.;
• Hawks: OUT: Clint Capela.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Pascal Siakam(30-35 Points), Trae Young(28-34 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: John Collins(9-12 Rebounds), Pascal Siakam(8-11 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Trae Young(9-12 Assists), Fred Van Vleet(8-11 Assists).

While the Raptors have been improving a bit, their vulnerabilities on the defensive end open up opportunities for the Hawks. The trouble is that the Hawks played last night in a close game and the Raptors are going to play at home where they have played much better lately. Defensively, both teams have their issues and their long-range shooting has also been off. I believe the Raptors will capitalize upon the home-court advantage and I predict a scoreline of 122:117 in favor of the Raptors.