The Atlanta Hawks have not had a better start to their current three-game journey to New York City, and they are virtually certain not to make the play-in game.
The last quarter of the Atlanta Hawks’ season is set to begin. Regretfully, there is little chance that the Hawks will win a championship after their poor play in the first three quarters. In fact, their season is all well finished now that Trae Young is sidelined for a month.
Before the current three-game trip to New York, though, this was not the case. The Brooklyn Nets were the opponent in the first two games. In the first game, the Hawks were embarrassed as they were jumped early on, rallied close to the half, then were completely destroyed in the third quarter. The Hawks got off to a great start in the second game, but they faltered in the second half.
This indicates that the Nets have closed the gap on the Hawks for the last play-in spot to just two games. The Hawks must defeat the fourth-place New York Knicks in order to salvage something from their trip to New York. This is a difficult assignment, and the Hawks haven’t been able to accomplish it since winning a playoff series in the NBA in 2021.
So why did the Atlanta Hawks’ season hinge on the trip to New York?
The Hawks’ 2023–24 season has 22 games remaining as of this writing. Fifteen of those twenty-two games are against playoff or play-in clubs. Two of the last seven games are against the Hawks’ archrivals, the Charlotte Hornets. The Hawks shouldn’t push themselves too hard, especially without their finest player, because the hill appears too high to climb and the payoff is too small.
The Brooklyn Nets, in 11th place, have just 14 games left in their schedule against teams that are placed higher. In the event that they end with the identical record, they also have the tiebreak option to win the season series versus the Hawks. The Hawks will, to put it frankly, semi-tank in order to improve their draft position.
That’s not to suggest the Hawks won’t make an effort. For the upcoming season, they still need to develop Bruno Hunter and Kobe Bufkin, show off De’Andre Hunter, and focus on the player chemistry. Even if they won’t be challenging for a title, there is still a lot to be gained from the season.
Quin Snyder, the coach, should now be responsible for instilling in his team the mindset of looking forward to the upcoming season. Players must take ownership of the duties that are allocated to them and keep their heads up. In order to avoid wasting the real summer on rehabilitation, players who have any minor ailments should spend a little more time recovering on the sidelines.
We are presently in the preseason of 2024–25. Young underwent surgery so that he may return as soon as possible and be fully functional. Onyeka Okongwu is remaining off the court to improve on some areas of his performance in actual gameplay until his toes are in proper alignment. For the Atlanta Hawks, the future is now; hopefully, they will have the courage to seize it.
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