The Hawks could be back sooner than we expect

When the NBA announced the original 22-team plan for their bubble in Orlando, Travis Schlenk and the Hawks didn’t keep it a secret about how dissatisfied they were about not being a part of it. While making the playoffs was a pipe dream for Atlanta, the developmental time for their young unit is crucial as they attempt to take a substantial step forward in 2020-2021. 

However, last Thursday, Adrian Wojarnowski broke that the league did not completely forget about the eight organizations that have been left out of Orlando. In this article on ESPN. com, Jackie MacMullen wrote, “The NBA is in deep discussions on a second ‘bubble’ in Chicago for the eight teams that were not invited to play in Florida, enabling them to participate in a mini-training camp and subsequent games against other clubs with a target date of September.” 

But not all teams are jumping for joy. Many organizations would like the NBA to come up with a plan that allows them to host practices and schedule scrimmages against other teams at their own facilities. However, union leader, Michele Roberts, isn’t budging, ensuring that the other eight teams follow the same protocols as the teams participating in the Orlando bubble, according to MacMullen. 

As far as the Hawks are concerned, they just want to get back to basketball, allowing their young core to prepare for what should be an exciting 2020-2021 season. Sarah K. Spencer of the AJC tweeted this out following the news. 

Can confirm the league talked to the teams excluded from the Orlando restart about this today.

The Hawks would be supportive of their guys getting the opportunity to play, per source. https://t.co/a7weQ9bHzg

— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) July 2, 2020

And it’s safe to say Hawks superstar point guard Trae Young feels the same way. 

https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1278803971944022018

More than anything, this gives Atlanta extra time for their young core to be on the court together. There’s the obvious addition of Clint Capela, who is now feeling better and should be in the starting lineup for the first time in a Hawks uniform if this second bubble comes to fruition. However, there have been few games when the Hawks “core five” of Trae Young, Cam Reddish, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter, and John Collins have all been healthy and on the floor at the same time. When they are, they’ve proven to be worth the excitement, and Capela should only help the hope for the near future. 

Nothing has been confirmed, so the details are still being ironed out, but it does appear the NBA has a plan to include the other eight teams while the rest are competing in Orlando. And while that may not sound like much, it’s crucial to the future of this young Hawks team that will be looking to compete in the playoffs next season.