Hawks basketball is right around the corner as the city of Atlanta has palpable excitement building in anticipation of Trae Young teaming up with Dejounte Murray — the first All-Star Ice Trae has ever played with. The nationally televised games will increase as the Hawks gain notoriety, and we know of at least one that will be in primetime. The NBA announced the club will host the Heat in Atlanta on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on TNT.
Sources: NBA’s Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day slate on TNT:
Heat vs. Hawks in Atlanta
Suns vs. Grizzlies in Memphis— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022
Few teams had a more disappointing season than the Hawks last year. Fresh off a trip to the conference finals, expectations were sky-high in and around the building. Fans and ownership alike were hopeful for another deep playoff run, but instead, they got an inconsistent and underperforming product that ended in a first-round exit.
It wasn’t until after the All-Star break that the Hawks seemed to find a sense of urgency, but it was too little too late. The Hawks were unable to pull themselves out of the play-in tournament before the postseason, and even though Atlanta topped inexperienced Hornets and Cavaliers teams, the series against the Heat was a microcosm of the season.
Young was a non-factor and had the worst five-game stretch since his rookie year. Miami’s suffocating defense forced the Hawks’ supporting cast to step up, which didn’t happen. Atlanta didn’t have the go-to secondary option to alleviate the pressure off their star point guard, but it wasn’t just the offense. The Hawks’ defense was non-existent for much of the series. And to make matters worst, in the final seconds of Game 5, Atlanta wasn’t even able to get a shot off. It was the perfect bow on a terrible season.
But that’s all in the rearview as the club moves forward with a new-look roster. Young, Murray, and John Collins will spearhead Atlanta’s squad in 2022. However, they will need substantial contributions from Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter, and Onyeka Okongwu if they want to get back to the Conference Finals.
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Photo: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
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