Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Atlanta Hawks

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San Antonio Spurs vs. Atlanta Hawks

AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX

November 28, 2015, 7:30 p.m. Spurs Time

TV: FSSW Radio: 1200 AM WOAI

The Hawks were the apple of the blogosphere's eye for the first 50 games of last season, blitzing the league with crisp passing and hot shooting, sending four players to the ASG and earning themselves the not-so-in-vogue-anymore tag of Spurs East. Despite losing vital cog DeMarre Carroll to free agency, the 2015-16 version retains the same style of play, albeit with a few new wrinkles.

Al Horford is the latest in a bevy of bigs to extend their range to the three-point line, firing around 3.5 attempts per game (and hitting on nearly 35% of them) to start the year. He likes the corners but won't hesitate if given the look from pretty much anywhere, and he's still a handful around the basket.

Spurs fans will be more familiar with another development: the acquisition of Tiago Splitter, who immediately provided Coach Bud with a guy who could defend and provide much-needed size while fitting in well within a system built around motion and ball movement. Fans anticipating seeing the former Spur will likely be disappointed, however, as he's sat out four games in a row with a hip injury and will probably rest again.

The Hawks' versatile frontcourt, anchored by Horford and Paul Millsap, will test the Spurs' two-big lineups, but it also forfeits a lot on the boards. As in years past, Atlanta is among the league's worst rebounding teams, and the injured Splitter is their only actual, serviceable center. I'm interested to see if we'll see much of Kawhi at the four (he played it for 11 minutes straight in the Mavericks game) -- perhaps not matching up against Millsap, but certainly against smaller Atlanta lineups.

Kent Bazemore (ankle) had been out for five games, thrusting Thabo Sefolosha into the starting lineup and Lamar Patterson into a bigger role. Atlanta has options at that second wing position, but each player has his own offensive limitations that will allow Spurs defenders to help off, whether it's stepping in front of a curling Kyle Korver or doubling on the post.

A relatively fresher Spurs team should be able to take advantage of a worn-down Hawks team completing a three-game Western Conference trip. There are a few ways this game could go in my head, but most end up as a Spurs W.

Matchup to watch: Duelling point guards. Teague will test Tony's legs and likely be aggressive all night, while the undercard of the wily Dennis Schroeder versus Patty Mills should also be fun. Another possibility: both teams rolling with two-point-guard lineups simultaneously.

Game prediction: Spurs by 7.

For the Hawks fans' perspective, visit Peach Tree Hoops.

As always Tony must dominate Fisher.