Vit

Krejci

Krejci’s injury on its own may not impact much, but with Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter already hurt, Atlanta’s rotation is getting thin. Garrison Mathews and David Roddy should fill out the extra minutes.

Bogdanovic will miss an extended period of time, so role players will get plenty of time to take advantage of his recovery. Rookie wing Zaccharie Risacher is sure to get a boost from this news.

Krejci’s contract wasn’t converted from a two-way into a standard deal last season, but it wasn’t because the Hawks didn’t want to keep him around. Now, they’ll have him under contract for more seasons on a team-friendly deal. He played really well down the stretch while the team was dealing with injuries, and he should be a rotation piece for Atlanta this year. However, he won’t make much of a fantasy impact.

Atlanta is locked into the Play-In Tournament, and they will have to win two games to make the playoffs. Barring a deep playoff run, Johnson’s and Okongwu’s seasons are over. While both are out, Vit Krejci, Garrison Mathews and De’Andre Hunter should see increased run.

With Dejounte Murray, Jalen Johnson and De’Andre Hunter all sidelined, Krejci returned to the starting unit after coming off the bench in their last four games. The last time he started, he set his career-high with 18 points, which he eclipsed in this game. He has played well over the past month and may earn a standard contract soon. If Atlanta opts to manage the minutes of their starters over their final two games, like they did in this one, Krejci may continue to play a large role. However, he isn’t a player that should be targeted next season.

The Hawks welcome back Young after a prolonged absence due to a finger injury. However, Dejounte Murray and Jalen Johnson are out, so Mathews and Krejci fill out the starting five. The opportunity to play starters’ minutes boosts the value of both players, but neither has been consistently reliable this season.

Murray will sit out the second night of the back-to-back after logging 49 minutes in the double overtime loss. Trae Young is back, so he will fill out the point guard minutes. Garrison Mathews, Vit Krejci and Kobe Bufkin will all take on extra minutes in this game.

Young will make his return after missing the past month and a half, and while Quin Snyder didn’t give a number, he did make it clear that Trae will be on a minutes restriction. That restriction will likely only be a one-game thing, since this isn’t a lower body injury. With Jalen Johnson sidelined, Young should fill that starting spot, which will keep Vit Krejci in a bench role.

Johnson has re-injured the ankle that just forced him to miss six games, which will allow Vit Krejci and Garrison Mathews to see extra minutes down the stretch. Krejci had been starting in his place and should move back into the starting unit if Johnson misses time after this game.

Johnson returned to the lineup in their last game and came off the bench for the first time since November. He moved back into the starting unit for this game and ended up recording a triple-double for the first time in his career. He played well in the first half, but he had 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists just in the second half. He has taken a massive leap this season, and he should be a dominant asset in fantasy basketball for years to come. Atlanta will play the second leg of a back-to-back on Thursday, so there is a chance that Johnson sits out, which would allow Vit Krejci to return to the starting unit.