October 30, 2026 at 5:40 AM UTC

Pregame Analysis

Hawks Look to Add to Pelicans' Early-Season Misery

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Atlanta's high-scoring offense meets a winless New Orleans team that keeps letting leads slip away.

The Pelicans host Atlanta at 0-3, one of only three winless teams left in the NBA, and the pressure on every possession is obvious. What stings is how they got here: New Orleans held second-half leads in all three losses, including a 23-point edge against Denver. This team can build control, but it has not yet shown it can close.

The roster questions add noise. Yves Missi's injury shifts center minutes to Derik Queen, who is expected to get the largest share, with Karlo Matkovic possibly in a bigger role. Herb Jones, meanwhile, is averaging a career-low 17.0 minutes amid trade speculation. Teams are reportedly monitoring him while the Pelicans hold out for a high price. A reshuffled frontcourt and an unsettled rotation are not ideal for a team trying to stop a slide.

Atlanta is 2-3 and coming off a 129-117 loss to Miami, but its offense is the story. The Hawks score 120.2 points per game, fifth in the league, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker poured in 31 against Orlando. The flaw is rebounding, where Atlanta ranks 25th at 41.4 per game. That gives Queen and Matkovic a real opening to compete on the glass, and New Orleans will need extra possessions to keep pace with that scoring.

I expect the Pelicans to find stretches of control, especially if the bigs win the rebounding battle. But Atlanta's scoring should keep it within range, and New Orleans' habit of surrendering leads is the tiebreaker. The Hawks' offense answers late and sends the Pelicans to 0-4.

Prediction: Hawks 119, Pelicans 114.

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