Hawks vs Wizards: Atlanta to rest entire starting lineup

To the surprise of no one, the Atlanta Hawks will be deploying the second unit against the Washington Wizards on Sunday evening.

Hawks will rest all starters. #ATLHawks

— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) April 12, 2015

Chris Vivlamore of the AJC reports that Mike Budenholzer has made the choice to rest the entire starting lineup against Washington in what is, effectively, a meaningless game. Paul Millsap was already ruled out for the game as a result of his shoulder ailment, but Budenholzer has earned the reputation for resting players in road games (and playing his best squad at home) and this choice is in line with that background.

In place of the normal lineup, Budenholzer will deploy this group:

Hawks starters: Schroder, Jenkins, Bazemore, Muscala, Brand. #ATLHawks

— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) April 12, 2015

It will be interesting to see how the Hawks can navigate a 48-minute game with only nine players, but again, this particular contest doesn't have any effect on the playoff picture, so Atlanta will manage with what they have. This opens the door for a return of the entire starting five (potentially including Millsap) on Monday at home against the Knicks.

Stay tuned.