New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks: Combined starting 5 including Trae Young and Julius Randle

New York Knicks v Atlanta Hawks.
New York Knicks v Atlanta Hawks.

The Atlanta Hawks will face the New York Knicks in a duel of teams driven by young talent. The Hawks made lots of noise during the 2020 NBA Free Agency, and the team has started the 2020-21 NBA season with a 4-2 record. The New York Knicks have a 3-3 record, which includes beating three teams with winning records.

With lots of young talent between these two squads, let us take a look at a combined starting five.

New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks: Combined starting 5

Atlanta started the 2020-21 NBA season with three consecutive wins, but have since lost two of their last three. Their only win in the last three came against the Brooklyn Nets, led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The Hawks played the Nets twice in a row at Brooklyn, splitting the miniseries.

In their most recent game, Atlanta fell to the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers. On the New York Knicks' side, their 3-3 record is impressive because they have beaten the Milwaukee Bucks, the 4-2 Cleveland Cavaliers, and the 4-2 Indiana Pacers.

While Trae Young and John Collins have been the Atlanta Hawks' driving force, Julius Randle has been the New York Knicks' main weapon so far. These teams will face each other for the first time of the year, as Atlanta will host the New York Knicks at the State Farm Arena.

In this article, we will create a combined starting five with players from the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks.


Point Guard - Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)

Atlanta Hawks v Brooklyn Nets.
Atlanta Hawks v Brooklyn Nets.

Trae Young is the best player from these two teams, and he has started the year with great performances. Young has been a volume scorer since he entered the NBA, but he has been efficient in the first six games of the 2020-21 NBA season.

Young's 28 points per game led the Hawks to a 4-2 start, and he has been running the offense with a high level. He has made 45% of his field goals and 36% of his 3-pointers. Also, he is averaging 8.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.

He has three 30-point games in the season for the Atlanta Hawks. Against the New York Knicks, Young had three 40-point games last season.


Shooting Guard - Bogdan Bogdanovic (Atlanta Hawks)

Atlanta Hawks v Brooklyn Nets.
Atlanta Hawks v Brooklyn Nets.

Bogdan Bogdanovic was arguably the biggest signing for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2020 NBA Free Agency. He has been the Hawks' sixth man in the first six games (though he has one start) and has been a solid piece for the Lloyd Pierce-coached team.

Bogdanovic averages 13 points per game for the 2020-21 NBA season. The shooting guard's shooting splits are 40/40/89 and his 19 three-pointers made are the highest on the Atlanta Hawks' roster.

Forward - John Collins (Atlanta Hawks)

Atlanta Hawks v Brooklyn Nets.
Atlanta Hawks v Brooklyn Nets.

John Collins' efforts have been huge for the Atlanta Hawks' good start to the 2020-21 NBA season. The 23-year-old is clearly the second-best player on the Atlanta Hawks' roster, and he continues to show progress year by year.

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Collins' year has been solid. He averages 17 points and seven rebounds per game. He should improve those stats (averaged 22 and 10 last year), especially because he has struggled from the 3-point line. He has made 29% of his threes this year, while he made 40% last season.

His free-throw shooting continues to improve, as he made 80% last year and is at 90% so far.

Against the New York Knicks, Collins had a fantastic game last season, scoring 32 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in a five-point win for the Hawks.


Forward - Julius Randle (New York Knicks)

New York Knicks v Indiana Pacers.
New York Knicks v Indiana Pacers.

Julius Randle has been the best player on the New York Knicks' roster in the 2020-21 NBA season, and his performances have been essential for the team's current 3-3 record.

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Randle is having an extraordinary year so far. It is still early, but he is putting up the best numbers of his NBA career so far. The left-handed power forward is averaging 21 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game (his career-high in a single season is 3.6 assists per game).

He had two 30-point games against the Atlanta Hawks last year and two double-doubles.


Center - Clint Capela (Atlanta Hawks)

Atlanta Hawks v Brooklyn Nets.
Atlanta Hawks v Brooklyn Nets.

The Atlanta Hawks' starting center, Clint Capela, is an efficient player on both sides of the floor.

Capela has started four of the Hawks' six games of the 2020-21 NBA season and is averaging his traditional double-double of points and rebounds. In just 25 minutes per game, Capela is averaging 10.5 points and 12 rebounds per night.

He is a good finisher around the basket and a consistent threat to the rivals on the offensive boards, with an average of four offensive rebounds per game.

Capela is a good defensive player, and his Defensive Rating of 103 is the best on the Atlanta Hawks' roster.


Also read: Charlotte Hornets vs Philadelphia 76ers: Combined starting 5 including Joel Embiid and Gordon Hayward

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