Gameday: Hawks at Bobcats, 7 p.m.

BOBCATS VS. HAWKS

7 p.m., Time Warner Cable Arena

TV: None. Radio: WFNZ-AM 610

Projected Starters

Matchup to Watch

Jamal Crawford vs. Raja Bell or Gerald Henderson. It's tough enough when the starting shooting guard is All-Star Joe Johnson. Now Crawford comes off the bench as a combo guard for the Hawks. He scored 27 and 26 points the past two games and he's always given the Bobcats fits.

Observations

Strange trip for the Hawks, who played three games in the Pacific time zone (Lakers, Blazers and Kings), then flew across the country for a road game in Charlotte before going home. They're playing great ball (2-1 out West, 4-1 overall), but if there was ever a time to catch a team in jet-lag mode, this could be it.

Some fans have been dogging Bobcats forward Vlade Radmanovic. I understand your frustration with his shooting (7-of-28 overall, 2-of-12 from 3-point range), but I respect how hard he's trying to be a power forward. That's not his natural position, but it's where they need him.

Hawks rookie Jeff Teague, a former Wake Forest star, might not play a lot this season because of Crawford, but he was a wise pick. Atlanta is built to run and Teague has that ability to push the tempo at point guard. Mike Bibby isn't that guy.

Tap-ins

The Bobcats play the next seven against viable playoff teams. The three weakest opponents in that span - Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia - are all road games.

This will be the first game this season when the Bobcats have all 14 players healthy. Which two players does coach Larry Brown deactivate? I'm guessing rookie Derrick Brown and either Gana Diop or Alexis Ajinca.

Starters Gerald Wallace and Raymond Felton are a combined 0-of-9 from 3-point range.

Did you know?

The Hawks' Josh Smith and the Bobcats' Diop are two of eight Oak Hill Academy alumni playing in the NBA. You could build a nice starting five out of Smith, Diop, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Jackson and Rajon Rondo. That would give you a bench of Jerry Stackhouse, Steve Blake and Marcus Williams.

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