The Hawks are winners of five straight, including victories over the Cavaliers (twice) and the Bucks, who were on a seven-game win streak. They’re doing it without much scoring from Trae Young. They’re doing it by committee.
Dyson Daniels has proven capable of shipping in 10-15 points while terrorizing opponents on the defensive end of the court. Zaccharie Risacher is good for double-digit points every night. Jalen Johnson is doing it all, averaging 20 points, nearly ten rebounds, and over five assists. Meanwhile, De’Andre Hunter has seemingly found his niche coming off the bench.
They’re now above .500 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but more than anything, they’re clearly building things the right way, and it’s garnering national attention. The momentum can be accelerated too with the Lakers coming to Atlanta this evening.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, J.J. Reddick, and the rest of Los Angeles are coming off a brutal 134-93 loss to the Miami Heat. The Lakers have now dropped six of their last eight games, moving them to 12-10 on the season.
There’s going to be eyes on the contest in State Farm Arena, and a victory over the reeling Showtime Lakers (if you can even call them that anymore) would pour gasoline on both fires. However, there’s even more at stake.
The Hawks traded Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans this offseason, and the deal netted Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell, the Lakers’ 2025 first-round pick, and a 2027 first-round pick (least favorable of Milwaukee/New Orleans).
The fact is the Lakers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They’re trying to maximize the present roster, which is a very average one compared to the rest of the Western Conference. LeBron is aging, Anthony Davis is dealing with knicks and bruises, per usual, and Reddick is proving no better than any coach that came before him. They’re relying on an injury-prone 31-year-old and a soon-to-be 40-year-old to be completely healthy just to barely make the playoffs.
A lot can go wrong for the Lakers, which should only make Hawks fans happy. The Hawks will directly benefit from the Lakers’ turmoil. In an absolutely loaded 2025 draft class, a lottery pick is all Atlanta should be hoping for; after all, we just saw the Hawks win it a few months ago with a 3% chance.
It may not be hard for you, Hawks fans, but we are all rooting against the Lakers.
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