From the outside, tensions have never been higher within the Atlanta Hawks organization. Recent reports have suggested a changing of the guard is occurring, and there’s no telling what will happen next. But while the situation between ownership and the front office is a mess, the team is beginning to play some of its best basketball, winners of three straight and looking for a season-high fourth win in a row against the Mavericks tonight.
For what feels like the first time all season, the Hawks are healthy, and when everybody is playing, this is a team that has shown the ability to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.
Following a slow start, Trae Young has begun to find his footing. He’s averaging 27.9 points on 45.7% from the field and 41.1% from deep to go along with 10.0 assists over his last 14 games. De’Andre Hunter has also started to find his groove after a short injury stint, averaging 17.8 points on 47.2% shooting and 42.9% from behind the arc in the past eight games. That’s who the Hawks thought they were getting when they handed him a $90 million extension this past offseason.
Those two playing well is critical to the Hawks winning games, but perhaps the most impactful player on the team this season has been Clint Capela. He’s the anchor of Atlanta’s defense down low and a pivotal piece offensively because of his rapport with Trae Young in the pick-and-roll. Capela returned on Monday following a ten game absence and didn’t miss a beat, recording 12 points, six rebounds, and three blocks in just over 20 minutes against the Heat.
The Hawks will be face a reeling Mavericks squad on Wednesday, who have lost four of their last five. Luka Doncic is having the kind of season that should make him the MVP frontrunner. He’s averaging 33.8 points per game to go along with nine rebounds and nearly nine assists. Of course, anytime the Hawks play the Mavs, the narrative of the draft day trade that landed Doncic in Dallas and Young in Atlanta exists. However, this game has much bigger implications. The Hawks desperately need to figure things out soon, or they could look to blow things up before the trade deadline in less than a month.
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Photo: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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