Dort Replaces Johnson in Hawks’ Starting Five Against Indiana
Atlanta will start Lu Dort in place of injured forward Jalen Johnson against the Indiana Pacers on November 2. Both teams announced heavily depleted starting lineups for the game.
The Atlanta Hawks will be without Jalen Johnson for their November 2 game against Indiana, leaving the team short on frontcourt options. Centers Jock Landale and Henri Veesaar, along with forward Mouhamed Gueye, are also unavailable for Atlanta.
Lu Dort is set to take Johnson’s place in the starting lineup. He has served as Atlanta’s backup power forward and was the first player off the bench in each of the team’s first seven regular-season games.
Atlanta’s other starters are guards CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, guard-forward Dyson Daniels and center Onyeka Okongwu. With Landale also out, the Hawks could turn to Zuby Ejiofor, Dorian Finney-Smith and Asa Newell for playing time. Newell covered for Landale during Saturday’s game with New Orleans, while Ejiofor and Finney-Smith have not had substantial rotation roles this season.
Indiana is also missing several players. Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac were already ruled out, and the Pacers will sit Ben Sheppard, T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith. The team is playing the second game of a back-to-back.
Indiana’s starters are Braden Smith and Quenton Jackson in the backcourt, Jarace Walker and Jalen Slawson at forward, and Jay Huff at center. Atlanta’s backup point-guard options are another question: Kingston Flemings is suspended, and coach Quin Snyder could use McCollum, Alexander-Walker, Daniels and Aaron Wiggins as ball handlers or give two-way player RayJ Dennis his first significant action of the season.