November 30, 2025
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
The Sixers will face off against the Atlanta Hawks twice in the next two weeks.
The Sixers will be back in action on their home floor on Sunday evening, playing host to a 12-8 Atlanta Hawks team which has surprisingly soared in the absence of star guard Trae Young, who is sidelined with a knee injury.
Atlanta has been powered by an emerging star wing, a strong collection of supporting cast members and a strong mix of veteran talent and youth.
Getting us up to sped on all things Hawks ahead of the Sixers' first of two matchups against Atlanta over the next two weeks is Kevin Chouinard, who does terrific work covering the team for Hawks.com.
Let's talk to Kevin:
Adam Aaronson: Jalen Johnson is one of the league's breakout stars in 2025-26, and the same would have been true last year if not for his unfortunate season-ending injury. For Sixers fans not familiar with the burgeoning Hawks forward, what makes Johnson such a dynamic player and someone the Hawks can build around in the years ahead?
Kevin Chouinard: First and foremost, when Jalen Johnson is moving north-south on a drive or pushing the ball in transition, it is supremely difficult for opposing defenses to stop him with just one player. He is too fast and crafty for the bigs to keep up and he can simply jump over or around smaller players (like Austin Reaves last season). He can also rebound at an excellent rate.
The Hawks have not been good on the defensive glass, but he has been one of the few keeping it afloat. With Trae Young out, Johnson has also gotten reps as one of the main offensive creators, and those reps will certainly be a valuable experience as he has seen a number of defensive coverages. If he can get more consistent as a defender, especially off the ball, he will be a complete player, and his current pace would make him worthy of an All-Star berth.
MORE: Can Sixers withstand an Andre Drummond absence?
AA: Many viewed Young's knee injury as a brutal blow to the Hawks' early-season chances of banking wins in the Eastern Conference playoff race. But they have silenced the doubters with a pretty impressive run without their franchise centerpiece. Other than Johnson's brilliance, how have the Hawks managed to withstand Young's absence?
KC: With Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the Hawks have had three players capable of putting pressure at the rim, even though none of the three are your typical NBA pick-and-roll primary ball-handlers. Instead, the Hawks have relied on spacing, the quality post passing of bigs Kristaps Porziņģis and Onyeka Okongwu, and the trio of Johnson, Daniels and Alexander-Walker cutting or taking handoffs to attack seams in the defense and get to the rim.
AA: Zaccharie Risacher is one of the lower-profile No. 1 overall picks in NBA history, it feels like, but he has shown signs of real upside as a high-caliber part of winning teams. What have you made of Risacher's sophomore season so far? What are the most important next steps in his development?
KC: Risacher doesn’t get enough credit, particularly for how valuable he is on defense. His combined size, agility, determination and poise allow him to handle a variety of assignments well. He is also a formidable player on the fast break. While his offensive numbers don’t jump off the page, in the Hawks offense, they need credible shooting and spacing to make the no-Trae, cutting-and-driving offense work. As a result, he often gets relegated to the corner-spacing, baseline-driving role too often, akin to a typecast actor. I think the next step will be to diversify his role on offense as much as possible, but that has been difficult without Young.
MORE: Sixers-Hawks injury report
