Atomic's NBA Friday Best Bet #2: Hawks @ Wizards - 3/10

Atomic loves Friday's NBA slate so much he gave us a second pick!

Will be going with Ice Trae in this one we have seen him go over in his last 2/2 matchups this season against Washington with 41 and 38 pts + ast respectfully. Monte Morris I’d actually back in this one which will relegate their best perimeter defender in Delon Wright to the bench which will now make this a difficult matchup for the Wizards. I expect Trae Young to cook in the pick and roll as Kuzma will likely have to try to guard him and not have the lateral quickness for that so this just shouldn’t be a good matchup. Washington has been decent at limiting PG’s but we have seen Trae destroy them with their best defender being forced to play he normally will close out the 1Q and then start the 2Q so he will maybe get matched up on Trae for about 6 minutes in the entire game which we can live with especially if Trae manages to find a rhythm by the time he does happen to match up on him.

This Wizards defense is bottom 11 in defensive rating so they really just haven’t been good as a unit I expect that to stay that way in this matchup. The Wizards are allowing the #11 most paint points per game & Trae can finish with the best of them despite not being athletic he loves to drive and score with floaters inside the paint with Gafford/KP at big we can expect a ton of drop defensive schemes which will only play to Young’s advantage in this one. Just a hell of a matchup for Trae where he has had success even with their best defender being forced to guard him all game now with the way their minutes are lined up he should be off him a lot.