Hawks vs Rockets: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups For Tonight’s Preseason Matchup

Hawks basketball is finally back.

While it is just the preseason, tonight’s preseason opener will be the first glimpse of a new Hawks lineup that underwent a facelift in the offseason. Led by new general manager Onsi Saleh, the Hawks made two shrewd moves to reinforce the frontcourt by trading for Kristaps Porzingis and drafting Asa Newell. However, they also reached a pair of huge free agent signings on the first day of the free agency period. The Hawks signed Wolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a four-year, $62 million deal in a sign-and-trade that sent a 2027 2nd-round pick (via CLE) to the Wolves. Then, the Hawks signed free agent guard Luke Kennard to a one-year, $11 million deal.

Adding three playoff-caliber options and a promising rookie in just one offseason is impressive work, but it remains to be seen how the team actually gels together. Hawks fans will get a sneak peek of that tonight against a talented Rockets squad that has contention hopes in the Western Conference. A season-ending injury to point guard Fred VanVleet likely holds them back from being true championship contenders, but Houston made the playoffs last season and took the Warriors to a Game 7 behind a young, unproven lineup. After winning 52 games last year, they added Kevin Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith while bringing former Hawks center Clint Capela back for his second stint with the team. Houston should be one of the five best teams in the Western Conference, so this is a good early test for the Hawks.

Jan 30, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles beside Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

For tonight, it will be tricky to guess how many minutes the Hawks’ major rotation players will get. I would also not take much away from the starting lineup. The preseason is a chance for Snyder to experiment with different lineups and rotations, and it might not reflect what he does in the regular season.

With that in mind, expect some run from Hawks star point guard Trae Young. Although he hasn’t recieved the extension he was looking for from the Hawks, there’s no question that the 2025-26 iteration of the Hawks will be heavily dependent on Young’s gravity as a playmaker and scorer. He led the NBA in assists last season despite playing with a middling lineup for most of the year. However, he wasn’t very efficient as a scorer and dealt with Achilles tendinitis for the entire season. It’ll be interesting to see if Young changes his game at all to complement the team’s new additions.

Shooting guard is going to be held down by Dyson Daniels during the regular season, but there’s a chance that new free agent acquisition Nickeil Alexander-Walker makes it into the starting lineup. Alexander-Walker was a critical bench player for the Timberwolves throughout their last two trips to the Western Conference Finals. He’s a great perimeter defender who can handle the ball and provide some floor spacing, which is an archetype that the Hawks sorely lacked last year.

The small forward spot is likely also going to be manned by Zaccharie Risacher after a solid rookie season. Although he struggled in the first half, Risacher really got going in the second half of his rookie season as his shooting improved and he found more confidence as a ball-handler. He still needs to develop his handle and he was very reliant on Young to set him up, but there’s definitely something to build on from a 19-year-old wing that shot 35.5% from beyond the arc on good volume while playing solid defense.

Power forward has been Jalen Johnson’s position for the last two seasons, and that won’t change in 2025-26. He’s struggled to stay on the court, but the young forward is a surprisingly good ball-handler for his size while being an elite rebounder and solid scorer. A healthy year in 2025-26 could vault him into the All-Star conversation. However, I’d expect that Johnson switches out for Asa Newell at some point in the game. The Hawks’ rookie had a solid Summer League performance, and it’ll be interesting to see how that translates into the preseason.

The real change from 2024-25 is coming at the center spot. Capela’s departure in the offseason means that Kristaps Porzingis is essentially unchallenged. He’ll be a part of the starting lineup as a floor-spacing center who is also an elite rim protector. There’s a chance Porzingis could be the missing piece that gets the Hawks into the playoffs, but he’s also frequently injured late in the season. If he gets minutes in the preseason, it’ll be heavily managed so that the Hawks aren’t overworking him in games that have no consequence. I’d expect a split of minutes between Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu, a capable starting center in his own right.

Atlanta’s bench has more intrigue than in years past. Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard are going to be two players to watch in this one. Kennard is especially interesting because he’s a good passer while also being a lights-out shooter for many years. The Hawks opted against adding a backup point guard – could they use Kennard in that role? It’s a question that might be critical for keeping Trae Young healthy. Mo Gueye is also a name to watch in this one – the third-year big man had some excellent moments for the Hawks as a defender and could work himself into the rotation if his three-point shot begins to fall.

For Houston, I’m interested to see how Reed Sheppard plays after a quiet rookie season. Sheppard will be stepping into VanVleet’s role and needs to be an immediate success if the Rockets are to deliver on their potential. Their collection of wings – Tari Eason, Dorian Finney-Smith Jabari Smith Jr – are also going to be a difficult matchup problem for the Hawks to solve as well as the obvious dillemas that Kevin Durant brings to any game. While both teams won’t be going at 100%, it should be a good barometer of where the Hawks are at heading into their season opener against the Raptors.

Sep 29, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) poses for a photo at media day. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Here is how you can watch tonight’s game:

Tip-off time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX

Where to Watch: Fanduel Sports Southeast

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be underdogs on the road tonight, as they are currently 1.5 point underdogs according to the latest odds from the Fanduel Sportsbook and the over/under is set at 227.5.

Hawks:

G – Trae Young

G – Dyson Daniels

F – Zaccharie Risacher

F – Jalen Johnson

C – Kristaps Porzingis

Rockets:

G – Reed Sheppard

G – Amen Thompson

F – Kevin Durant

F – Jabari Smith Jr

C – Alperen Sengun

Unlike the regular season, NBA teams are not required to share injury reports for preseason games.