NBA: Hawks have added incentive to extend Pelicans' skid

A win for the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans could carry extra significance.

Atlanta owns New Orleans’ unprotected first-round draft pick. A victory would not only help the Hawks remain in the playoff picture but also push the Pelicans closer to the bottom of the standings, improving Atlanta’s draft positioning.

New Orleans currently holds the second-worst record in the NBA. The Pelicans became the first team in the Western Conference to lose 30 games on Tuesday, falling 111-103 to the Los Angeles Lakers. New Orleans has lost eight straight games following an unlikely five-game winning streak in early December.

The Hawks secured this favorable draft position by selecting Derik Queen with the 13th pick of the 2025 draft and immediately trading his rights to the Pelicans. Queen has enjoyed a productive rookie season, averaging 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.

Pelicans coach James Borrego has praised Queen’s contributions, particularly on the boards.

“Rebounding is one of those things that are pretty transferable from the college game to the NBA,” Borrego said. “That is something the front office saw in college that would translate. That has been there, so I think we should ask for more. Why not? If he’s at 10, why not ask for 12? Let’s see where he takes it.”

Trey Murphy III recently scored a career-high 42 points against the Lakers and has combined for 69 points over the last two games after being inactive on Jan. 2 due to a sore back.

The Hawks struggled in a two-game series at Toronto, losing 118-110 on Monday after a 134-117 defeat on Saturday. Atlanta has dropped nine of its last 11 games and sits 10th in the Eastern Conference, just ahead of Milwaukee.

Atlanta has played its last five games without Trae Young, who is sidelined with a right quad contusion. Young returned for only six games after missing 21 games with a right MCL sprain. Rumors suggest the team may explore trade packages involving the four-time All-Star before the Feb. 4 trade deadline.

Meanwhile, Atlanta has been encouraged by the progress of Zaccharie Risacher, who has improved defensively and is growing more confident on offense. The 2024 No. 1 overall pick is averaging 10.8 points per game and scored 16 points—all in the second half—against Toronto.

“You can be aggressive in a lot of ways,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said after Monday’s game. “He threw himself into the game on the defensive end and got rewarded for it.”

Atlanta continues to get strong performances from Jalen Johnson, who averages 23.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game. He has recorded 25 double-doubles, the most among Eastern Conference players. Nickeil Alexander-Walker needs one assist to reach 1,000 for his career and three points to reach 4,000.

Wednesday’s matchup will be the last of two meetings this season between the teams. Atlanta won the first contest 115-98 on Nov. 22 in New Orleans and has won four of the last five games against the Pelicans.

—Field Level Media/Reuters