Orlando Magic vs Atlanta Hawks: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - November 15th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22

The Orlando Magic will travel to Atlanta to play the Atlanta Hawks on their homecourt, better known as the State Farms Arena. The battle, which is scheduled to take place on Monday, will feature two teams that are currently on almost identical boats, stuck in what may be compared to a violent whirpool.

Atlanta will host the Magic squad with a 5-9 record behind them. For a team that reached the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks have been beyond disappointing. Trae Young's 42 points helped them beat the Milwaukee Bucks yesterday, but the W after a six-game losing streak must have tasted bitter for the players, fans and coaches.

Where the Atlanta Hawks were 5th in East the previous season, they are seeded 13th in the ongoing season. Much of the blame for this absolutely humiliating start can be attached to the team's defense, which has been nothing but awful. Their current defensive rating of 112.4 is ranked 28th in the entire league, ahead of only the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans.

2020-21 saw the second downfall of the Orlando Magic in the last decade after they successfully reached the playoffs in 2018-19 and 2019-20. In the ongoing season, Jamahl Mosley's team has an offensive rating of 100.6 (27th in the league) and a defensive rating of 110.4 (25th in the league). Their 3-10 record speaks for itself far more than any statistical analysis could.

Orlando Magic Injury Report

Orlando's injury report will contain the usual four names who have missed every single game that has been played in the ongoing season. Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac are the two youngsters the Orlando Magic squad needs back urgently. Both have the ability to average double digit points and contribute to rebounding (Isaac) and assisting (Fultz).

Fultz and Isaac are recovering from ACL tears and have no clear timeline for their return. Meanwhile, veterans Michael Carter-Williams and E'Twaun Moore will also remain sidelined until further notice. Furthermore, rookie Jalen Suggs has been marked as questionable against the Atlanta Hawks due to a sprained right ankle.

Player Name	Status	Reason
Jalen Suggs	Questionable	Sprained right ankle
Michael Carter-Williams	Out	Left ankle injury
E'Twaun Moore	Out	Sprained left knee
Markelle Fultz	Out	ACL tear recovery
Jonathan Isaac	Out	ACL tear recovery

Atlanta Hawks Injury Report

Atlanta, who are in an undeniable slump, have been hit by another ominous injury. De'Andre Hunter, a regular starter for the Atlanta Hawks, has been ruled out for approximately two months. Shams Charania of The Athletic shed some light on Hunter's situation through his Twitter account.

In a tweet dated November 15, Charania wrote: "Hawks‘ De’Andre Hunter will undergo surgery on a tendon injury in his right wrist and miss approximately two months."

Onyeka Okongwu, who underwent shoulder surgery in July this year, is aiming to return by December, as reported by Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In her tweet, Spencer wrote:

"Onyeka Okongwu says he thinks it's realistic for him to come back in December. Says he's already working out on the court."

Player Name	Status	Reason
Onyeka Okongwu	Out	Shoulder surgery
De'Andre Hunter	Out	Tendon injury on right wrist

Orlando Magic vs Atlanta Hawks: Predicted Lineups

Orlando Magic

With Jalen Suggs out, the Orlando Magic will most likely start Terrence Ross along with Cole Anthony on the backcourt. Anthony has stepped up his game in the absence of Fultz and Isaac, and is currently the top scorer on his team with 19.5 points per game.

The frontcourt will most likely be handled by Franz Wagner, Mo Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr. in the game against the Hawks.

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks will most definitely start with Trae Young as point guard against the Magic. Young is currently averaging 25.7 points and 9.3 assists per game and is without any argument one of the best scorers and playmakers in the league.

He will most likely be joined by Bogdan Bogdanovic on the backcourt, while Kevin Huerter, John Collins and Clint Capela handle the frontcourt.

Orlando Magic vs Atlanta Hawks: Predicted Starting 5s

Orlando Magic

Point Guard - Cole Anthony | Shooting Guard - Terrence Ross | Small Forward - Franz Wagner | Power Forward - Wendell Carter Jr. | Center - Mo Bamba

Atlanta Hawks

Point Guard - Trae Young | Shooting Guard - Bogdan Bogdanovic | Small Forward - Kevin Huerter | Power Forward - John Collins | Center - Clint Capela