NBA
Growing Wings
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are still early in the NBA season but I want to take a look at my hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks.
I’m normally critical of this franchise because they are never championship contenders.
Atlanta desperately needs to pair All-Star point guard Trae Young with another star player. Young has been with the franchise since he was drafted in 2018 and the Hawks still have not figured out how to do that.
They drafted Michigan shooting guard Kobe Bufkin with the 15th pick in the 2023 draft. He played poorly and was assigned to the G League to play for the College Park Skyhawks. He also dealt with injuries so he has not been able to make a contribution to the team.
Last season they were 36-46 and did not make the playoffs. The Hawks did get the top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and they selected small forward Zaccharie Risacher (France).
So far he averages 10.9 points per game and 23.7 minutes per game. I understand he’s a rookie but more is expected from a No. 1 pick.
He’s shooting 27% from three, which is one of the reasons he does not play major minutes. He did score 33 points against the Knicks in early November so he has shown flashes of his talent.
De’Andre Hunter is in his sixth year and he comes off the bench for Risacher. He’s actually the better player because he averages 19.3 ppg and makes 45% of his threes.
He’s led the team in scoring in six games. I know the organization wants to show their top pick they have confidence in him but he should be coming off the bench.
Jalen Johnson is also listed as a small forward and he’s having a breakout season. He was picked in the first round of the 2021 draft from Duke.
Johnson is averaging 19.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg and 5.5 apg. He has led the team in scoring in eight games so far with 29 as the season high twice.
Shooting guard Dyson Daniel (Australia) was picked 8th in the 2022 draft by Charlotte. He was traded to the Hawks in July for Dejounte Murray. Daniels is averaging 13.4 ppg but he has led the team in scoring twice.
The team is currently 14-13. They have young talent and it shows because they are very inconsistent.
They started the season with two wins then they lost their next four. They lost three in a row in late November, then won six in a row.
The NBA has the pointless in-season tournament, the Emirates NBA Cup. The Hawks beat the New York Knicks in the quarterfinals, 108-100. They lost to Milwaukee in the semifinals, 110-102 over the weekend.
“Just as a team, we got a lot of room to grow,” Hawks forward Jalen Johnson said. “I’m proud of everybody. We defeated a lot of odds, coming in and making it all the way to Vegas. So, there’s nothing to hang our heads about. We just gotta keep moving in the right direction.”
“Our growth is not going to be just linear,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “We’re going to have those moments, and every time we have, like tonight, you know, what can we take from it? And I think that’s really true for Zacch and Dyson and JJ. These moments, because they’re getting an opportunity at a young age to be in them there’s a lot of opportunity.”
Atlanta has potential to be a good team and I think they can make the playoffs as a fifth or sixth seed.
The Frenchman
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are going to recap the 2024 NBA Draft. Let’s take a look around the Southeast and rate each team’s first round pick.
#1 Atlanta: 6’9 SF Zaccharie Risacher, JL Bourg (France)
For the second year in a row, the top pick from the NBA was a French player. It’s interesting to see France now as a hotbed for basketball talent.
This draft was a bit different from because there was not a person that was a consensus number one pick.
Another Frenchman, Alex Sarr was selected No. 2 by Washington. He obviously was in play to be picked by Atlanta but he refused to workout with the team, which forced them to go in a different direction.
Risacher has potential, which will get the general manager fired if he does not live up to it. He’s a solid 3-and-D prototype player. You do wish you could say more about a top draft pick though. His stats are not impressive when you look at them.
He played pro basketball in France and he averaged 10.1 points per game and played 22 minutes per game. He was 18 last season playing against adults so take that into consideration.
“I feel like there is no pressure,” Risacher said at the team’s introductory press conference. “I’m just realizing my dream, and I feel like I’ll just focus on the good stuff and on the right stuff.”
He wants to compete and contribute to winning in Atlanta.
“Just focusing on like the good stuff, like being a pro player, who is serious, who has his routine, who doesn’t pay attention to outside noise, who is always with his teammates, who feel like he’s a part of this family,” Risacher said. “And I think that those are important for, especially, first-round pick to have. Because there was a lot of expectations and a lot of noise around. So it’s important to focus on the good stuff, and I’m super glad to get into this great organization with those great people who want to develop me as a player, who want to win. So that’s amazing.”
Grade: B
# 6 Charlotte: 6’9 PF Tidjane Salaun, Cholet (France)
He’s still 18 so we also cannot put a huge emphasis on his stats last season. He averaged 9 ppg, 4 rpg and 22.7 mpg. He does have a high motor and the potential to improve his shot. He does fill a position of need for the Hornets but he was also picked based off his potential
Grade: B-
# 9 Memphis: 7’4 C Zach Edey, Purdue
Edey is one of the most decorated college players ever. He led the Boilermakers to a national championship game appearance against UConn.
Even though his team lost, he scored 37 points and had 10 rebounds. He was projected as a late first round pick because some people doubt his athleticism but I think this is a great pick.
Grade: B+
# 15 Miami: 7’0 C Kel’el Ware, Indiana
Ware averaged 15.9 ppg and 9.9 rpg last season. He has all of the measurables but there are questions about his motor and physicality. He has also said that he’s not sure how much he loves basketball.
Grade: B-
# 18 Orlando: 6’8 Wing Tristan da Silva, Colorado
He’s a four-year starter so he has a lot of experience. He can step in and play right away. He averaged 16 ppg and 5.1 rpg. He will probably play small forward now unless he bulks up enough to be a small-ball power forward.
Grade: B
Welcome To The South
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 NBA Draft is coming up on June 26-27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
We are going to take a look at the teams around the South and see who they might select in the first round.
# 1 Atlanta: The Hawks have the chance to select the best player in the draft. Zaccharie Risacher is a 19-year-old wing/forward the played for JL Bourg (France). He shot 38.7% from beyond the arc. He is 6’8 so he has the prototypical size for his position.
Atlanta already has one star player with point guard Trae Young. It would make sense to pair him with another talented player but there is always the chance of a surprise in the draft.
Young is only 25, so he still has several good years ahead of him. There is a chance the Hawks could take a guard like Reed Sheppard (Kentucky) and then trade Young.
#6 Charlotte: UConn center Donovan Clingan would be the ideal pick but he may not be around for the Hornets. If he were, the 7’2 Clingan would be a great fit.
Small forward/shooting guard Dalton Knecht (Tennessee) might be the player to select here. He’s 6’5 and primarily played guard in college. Charlotte already has point guard LaMelo Ball and small forward Brandon Miller.
Knecht averaged 25.5 points per game in SEC play and shot 48.4% from the field. He would help to create space on offense for Ball and Miller.
#9 Memphis: 6’7 small forward Cody Williams (Colorado) might be drafted here. He is the younger brother of OKC Thunder wing Jalen Williams.
He’s 6’7 with a 7’1 wingspan. He should be able to defend multiple positions, pass and pressure the rim. He averages 11.9 points per game as a freshman.
Forward Ron Holland II can also potentially be picked here if he’s still available. He played for the G League Ignite last season and averaged 19.5 ppg, 6.7 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game. The 6’8 forward was the only bright spot on the team. The Ignite were 6 – 44 last season.
“In high school I feel like I was just playing at 100 percent and running over guys,” Holland said at the NBA Draft Combine in May. “I definitely learned how to deal with it with the Ignite playing against bigger and smarter defenders.”
#15 Miami: 7’4 center Zach Edey (Purdue) is one of the most decorated college players in the last decade.
He played for the Boilermakers from 2020-24. Edey was the two-time National College Player of the Year (2023, 2024), two-time Pete Newell Big Man Award (2023, 2024), two-time Kareem Abdul-Jabar Award (2023, 2024), two-time consensus first-team All-American (2023, 2024) and the NCAA season scoring leader (2024).
He led Purdue to the national championship game and averaged 25.2 ppg and 12.2 rpg. He has a great mix of size, power and intensity.
Baylor guard Ja’Kobe Walter could also be picked here. He averaged 14.5 ppg for the Bears. He was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year last season.
#18 Orlando: 6’9 wing Johnny Furphy (Kansas) would be a good pick. Furphy was born and raised in Australia and came to the US for college. He struggled with being consistent last season. He averaged 9 ppg and 4.9 rpg.
#21 New Orleans: 6’10 forward Yves Missi (Baylor) is the likely pick here. He averaged 107 ppg and 5.6 rpg for the Bears.
With The First Pick The Atlanta Hawks Select….
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Hawks shocked the basketball world by winning the NBA Draft Lottery.
This is the Hawks’ first time getting the No. 1 pick since 1975, when they ended up drafting David Thompson, a five-time All-Star and NBA Hall of Famer. The Draft Lottery was not established yet, so it is the first time they won it.
The Detroit Pistons, who had the league-worst 14-68 record, could not believe it as they had the best odds at 14% to get the No. 1 pick.
The Washington Wizards were 15-67 and they also had great odds to land the number one pick. They have the No. 2 pick.
In 2023-24, they finished the season 36-46, which resulted in the tenth-highest lottery odds. They owned a 3% chance at the No. 1 overall pick and a 13.9% chance at a selection in the top four.
This is very shocking for this franchise. They are never championship contenders but not bad enough to pick high enough to select a superstar. This has finally changed.
The only problem is this year’s draft does not have a consensus top prospect like Victor Wembanyama was last year.
Some of the top prospects for the Hawks to consider are center Alexandre Sarr (France), point guard/shooting guard Stephon Castle (UConn), point guard Nikola Topic (Serbia) and small forward/power forward Ron Holland (G League Ignite).
Holland was a McDonald’s All-American in 2023. He averaged 19.5 points per game in the G League as an 18 year old. He is very skilled and has good athleticism. Holland is 6’8, 206 pounds so he needs to put on more weight. He only shoots 24% from the arc, so that’s frightening.
Sarr is 7’1 and 216 pounds. He has a smaller frame but he is more of an old school center. The 19 year old played in Australia’s NBL last season. He played 27 games and averaged 9.4 ppg, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
He is raw offensively and needs to develop his skillset. He is a solid defensive player but I don’t think that is enough for a number one draft pick.
Castle is a Georgia native and graduated from Newton High School in Covington, GA.
Obviously, he won a national championship with the Huskies last season. He averaged 11.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.9 apg. He’s 6’6 so he’s a bigger guard. He did not really get to display his skillset because he played in a true team system.
Topic won a gold medal with Serbia at the U18 European Championships. He played on two different teams in the AdmiralBet League (ABA) in 2023-24. He averaged 18.4 ppg in twelve games for Mega MIS. He has a well-rounded game on offense and he can score. He’s 6’6 and he turns 19 in August.
If Atlanta decides to draft another point guard they might have to trade their current star, Trae Young.
The 2024 NBA Draft will be the first ever two-day event, beginning at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, June 26 and concluding with the second round on Thursday, June 27.
It will be at the Barclays Center, which is the home of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Newcomers
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are going to review the 2023 NBA Draft and grade the draft class for the following franchises.
Charlotte: They selected Brandon Miller (Alabama) with the No. 2 pick.
Some scouts had Scoot Henderson as a better choice but Miller is a good player. He’s a 6’9 wing who can run pick-and-roll and shoot threes with volume. He led the Crimson Tide to one of the programs best season’s and made them a national championship contender.
Shooting guard Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas) was the 27th pick. Smith was a wonderful upside swing in the late first. He was projected as a top-5 pick a year ago before a rough freshman season at Arkansas that saw him battle through a knee injury. If he can stay healthy he should be a very good player. The first pick in the second round was power forward James Nnaji (Barcelona). He is a physical player that plays above the rim on both ends.
Shooting guard Amari Bailey (UCLA) was the final pick. He has a well-rounded skillset.
Grade: B+
Atlanta: Guard Kobe Bufkin was selected at No. 15. He can play either guard spot with impressive rim finishing and reliable spot-up three-point shooting, features that make him a nice fit as a third guard alongside Dejounte Murray and Trae Young.
Atlanta is in a weird position because they are an average team. That means they aren’t bad enough to get high draft picks so they are always stuck picking in the middle of the first round. Unfortunately, the difference makers are gone after the first five picks.
Washington State center Mouhamed Gueye was the 39th pick. He’s an athletic big man that could look like a steal if he learns how to shoot. Penn State forward Seth Lundy is a decent pick midway through the second round.
Grade: B
Memphis: The Grizzlies made their big move just before the draft when they landed Marcus Smart in a three-team trade with the Celtics.
They did not have a first-round pick so forward GG Jackson II (South Carolina) was selected with the 45th pick. He made the 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team. He played all 32 games and averaged 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Jackson is a nice upside gamble in the middle of the second round as a super young shot-creating forward.
They also drafted forward Tarik Biberovic (Fenerbahce Beko) with the 56th pick.
Grade: B
Miami: They only had one pick and selected small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA) at No. 18. Jaquez was a four-year college superstar at UCLA who slowly earned the NBA’s respect for his toughness, shot-making, and physical intensity. I think he will be a good fit for the Heat.
Grade: B
New Orleans: With the 14th pick they got guard Jordan Hawkins (U Conn).
The Pelicans needed shooting after finishing No. 29 in the league in three-point attempts last season, and they drafted one of the best shooters in the class in Hawkins.
He is an incredibly skilled movement shooter who should help bend defenses off the ball while Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram control the action. The fit makes sense but he is a smaller guard and may be a liability on defense.
Grade: C
Orlando: The picked point guard Anthony Black (Arkansas) No. 6 and small forward Jett Howard (Michigan) No. 11.
I wasn’t quite as high on Black as some others, but it’s easy to see the appeal as a big guard with defensive versatility. Howard is a very good shooter.
Grade: B
Shaking Out The Lottery
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2023 NBA Draft is June 22nd. Let’s take a look at the teams around the Southeast and see what players they’re likely to select in the first round.
Charlotte (27 – 55): The Hornets hold the No. 2 pick. The consensus top pick in the draft is 7’4 center Victor Wembanyama. He’s projected to be the top pick for San Antonio. If that does not happen Charlotte would take him.
The most likely pick will be guard Scoot Henderson. Henderson has played in the G League for the Ignite for the past two years.
In the 2022-23 season he averaged 17.6 points per game, 6.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds. He has proven that he can play on or off the ball. Henderson will be a great backcourt mate with LaMelo Ball because they project to be a good fit offensively.
Orlando (34 – 48): The Magic have two lottery picks, sixth and eleventh. They are looking to add another piece to a roster that features Paolo Banchero, Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, and others.
The best available remaining player at No. 6 should be Jarace Walker (Houston). He was the AAC Freshman of the Year last season.
The 6’8 forward averaged 11.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 1.8 apg. He measured in with a 7-foot, 2.5-inch wingspan at the draft combine, something that the Magic will love. Outside of his defense, Walker showed that he can be a capable shooter at the next level after converting 34.7% from the three-point line.
The 11th pick might be Kansas forward Gradey Dick. He is a player that could step in and fill an immediate need for the Magic: 3-point shooting.
He set the Jayhawks freshman record for most 3s in a season (83) after shooting 40.3% shooting from 3-point range. The Magic desperately need shooting so Dick could be the pick here.
New Orleans (42-40): The Pelicans are a team on the cusp of being very good. They have a star player in Zion Williamson but he struggles with his weight and injuries.
6’10 forward Leonard Miller might be a good fit. He played for the G League Ignite and averaged 16.9 ppg and 10.1 rpg. He does much of his work in the paint but shot 30.4% from 3-point range on 2.4 attempts per game last season.
Atlanta (41 – 41): The Hawks have the 15th pick. I think their problem is they typically are an average team every year and they typically draft in the mid to late teens. Trae Young is a star player but they keep struggling to add another elite player. Since they don’t have a high pick they will be looking for another role player.
Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin might be a good fit. He’s 6’4 so he would add size to the backcourt and he averaged 14 ppg.
Miami: The Heat are on the verge of getting into the Eastern Conference Finals. They have the No. 18 pick so they look to add a younger piece to a good team.
Indiana point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino would be a good pick. He’s 6’6 so he has the size to defend both guard positions.
He showed great poise throughout the year and dished out the fourth-most assists (117) in program history by a freshman.
Memphis (51 – 31): The Grizzlies will select forward Bilal Coulibaly (France). He has the ability to get downhill and finish at the rim.
NBA Newcomers
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NBA Draft has come and gone for another season. In recent years the draft has not been very deep. In most scenarios if you do not hold one of the first three of four picks then you are not drafting a franchise-type player.
This draft was no different. Many experts believed the first four players taken were players that could change the fortunes of an organization but after that, such impact players did not exist.
There were no surprises at the top either. The Orlando Magic took Paolo Banchero number one overall.
Banchero was a star at forward for the Duke Blue Devils. The true freshman averaged over 17 points per game and over 7 rebounds per game.
Banchero is 6’10-250 pounds. He has great size and has a good NBA body. I think Banchero will find success in playing down low and being physical in the NBA, more than he will find with playing at the top of the key and being the main option.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Banchero will be a solid NBA player, but I don’t see him as a superstar; he is a good building block and will be a great core piece for the Magic.
The Atlanta Hawks had the 16th overall pick and with it selected another Duke F, AJ Griffin.
Griffin also has an NBA-ready frame, at 6’6 220 pounds. Griffin started slow for the Blue Devils but became crucial for Duke during their late season run.
Griffin has NBA pedigree as well. He is the son of NBA veteran and Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin. Griffin was also a McDonald’s All-American and was considered one of the top 15 players in last fall’s incoming freshman class.
Missing much of the preseason with a leg injury, the New York native got off to a slow start in his lone collegiate season. Griffin also made the ACC All-Rookie Team. He averaged over 10 points per game for Duke.
What I like the most about Griffin is the ability for him to create his own shot. This will help the Hawks if he can improve on his ball handling and quickness.
The Magic also took Caleb Houstan. Houstan was a F out of Michigan, 6-8 205 pounds. Houstan was the 32nd overall pick.
The Hawks would have had the 44th pick but it was traded to the Golden State Warriors.
The first 5 picks of the NBA Draft were as follows:
1.Paolo Banchero-Magic
2.Chet Holmgren-Thunder
3.Jabari Smith-Rockets
4.Keegan Murray-Kings
5.Jaden Ivey-Pistons
Hawks Flying To NBA Finals?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Hawks are making an improbable playoff run.
They just beat the No.1 seed in the East, Philadelphia, in Game 7 of the East Semifinals to advance to the Conference Finals.
They overcame a subpar performance from the team’s star, Trae Young. He was 5 for 23 from the floor. Young did finish with 21 points and 10 assists.
“I knew I had to find a way,” Young said. “My shot was off. My right hand and shoulder were giving out. But my teammates showed up and made plays. I wanted to come through in the end and help them out.”
Shooting guard Kevin Huerter led the team with 27 points, making 10 of 18 shots (55%).
Danilo Gallinari had 17 points off the bench. John Collins had 14 points and 16 rebounds.
“This team is special, man,” Huerter said. “Everybody has counted us out all year. For us to make it this far and win in this building in Game 7, it’s huge for us.”
Lloyd Pierce was fired as the head coach and Nate McMillan was named interim head coach on March 1, 2021. The Hawks went 27 – 11 and won the Southeast division.
“I felt like they were built for this moment tonight to win this game,” Coach Nate McMillan said.
MVP runner up Joel Embiid had 31 points, 11 rebounds and 8 turnovers playing with a meniscus tear in his right knee.
The other star for the Sixers, Ben Simmons played poorly. He only had 5 points in the game and routinely passed up open shots. In the series he shot 33% from the free throw line, which is clearly terrible.
Atlanta had been 0-9 in Games 7s on the road. Now they are advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015.
This marked only the second year since 1973 — when the NBA began seeding for the playoffs by conference — when neither No. 1 seed will make the conference finals. The Clippers eliminated West No. 1 seed Utah.
“We gave them life from Game 1,” 76ers forward Tobias Harris said. “It’s a young, hungry team.”
The next test waiting for Atlanta are the Milwaukee Bucks, the No. 3 seed in the East. The Bucks are led by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, AKA the Greek Freak.
This season he averaged 28.1 ppg, 11 rpg and 5.9 apg. He makes 56.9% of his field goals but he plays close to the basket. He only shoots 30.3% from the three-point line. In Game 7 against the No. 2 seed Brooklyn Nets, he had 40 points and 13 rebounds.
The deciding factor in the series will come from the rest of the team. Giannis will play well, but he needs help from his teammates.
Small forward Kris Middleton averaged 20.4 ppg and 6 rpg this season. If he plays well consistently Milwaukee will be tough to beat.
Game 1 is Wednesday, 8:30 pm in Milwaukee. We will see if the Hawks can continue to be road warriors and steal the opening game.
I think the playoff run comes to an end for Atlanta. I expect the Bucks to win in 6 games.
True To Atlanta
By: Buck Blanz
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Wednesday night the Atlanta Hawks pulled off one of the greatest late-game comebacks in Hawks’ history.
The Hawks were losing by 24 with 2:10 left in the third quarter in a game where Atlanta seemed out of sorts from the beginning.
After being down by as many as 26 points in Wednesday night’s game 5, the Hawks would have to climb their way out of a hole that they dug early.
So, who would bet against the Hawks this time? The answer… almost everyone (including me), but fortunately most everyone was very wrong.
Throughout the first half of Game 5 in Philadelphia, the 76ers appeared to play their best basketball of the series. They were swinging the ball from wing to wing making the Hawks get set to play defense instead of leaking out in transition for easy buckets.
Philadelphia continued to shoot over 50% from the field. As they have throughout this series, it looked like the Hawks had no answer, especially for Embiid.
Joel Embiid began his night having his way with Clint Capela allowing him to taunt the crowd while playing very aggressive and physical. For a 76ers fan that is what you want, but then things began to turn in favor of Atlanta.
As many of the coaches and players on this resilient Hawks team have said before, ‘this team never quits’, and they don’t. As a fan of Atlanta sports, I must say that it is really nice being on the other side of an epic collapse throughout a game in which the 76ers should’ve won by 20, if not 30.
Throughout the first half of game 5 the Hawks could not buy a basket, nothing seemed to roll their way, until the 76ers seemed to take their foot off the gas then things changed.
After being down by 24 late in the third quarter, Atlanta quickly went on an 8-2 run to close out the third shifting the momentum in favor of the Hawks, which ultimately carried through the end of the game.
This Atlanta Hawks team has made it clear they have weapons; the trick is just finding what weapons are working on any given night.
Wednesday night those game-altering contributions came from the veterans Danilo Gallonari and the Atlanta native, Lou Williams. With each respectively adding 15 and 16 points while coupling with their veteran leadership in the playoffs is important for this young Hawks squad.
Along with the veteran contributions, it all begins with your star player and his approach. In this case, as we all know, that would be Trae Young.
Young’s ever-rising superstar status has been highlighted throughout this series and this playoff run.
Last night, Trae dropped a playoff career-high 39 points, while stealing game 5 from Philly in Philly giving Atlanta a 3-2 series lead with game 6 Friday in Atlanta.
Only one win separates the fifth seeded Atlanta Hawks from the Eastern Conference Finals.
Flying Through Playoffs
By: Buck Blanz
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Heading into this series against the Knicks, the Atlanta Hawks knew that they were the more talented team.
The young Hawks squad, led by All-Star Trae Young, never seemed to be bothered by the physical antics that the Knicks brought with them to get any competitive advantage over the Hawks. However, it might’ve been the opposite of what the Knicks wanted because it only seemed to make things worse.
In his first ever playoff series, Trae Young averaged 29.2 ppg and 9.8 apg and shot 44.1% from the floor vs. the Knicks. It’s safe to say he put on a show by making play after play for Atlanta.
For the entire series, New York fans were giving the Hawks all they could handle but they responded from a Game-2 loss in New York with three straight wins to close out the series in dominating fashion.
Strangely enough the Hawks played their worst game statistically in Game-5 and still came out with a 103-89 win. Showing evidence of Nate McMillan’s coaching impact bringing the Hawks, who are known to be a defensive nightmare, to leading the playoffs in scoring defense.
To McMillan credit he has turned the Hawks around from a very disappointing season to being just where they had hoped they would be at the start of the season.
What is probably the most exciting part of this team besides going 33-13 since McMillan became the interim Head Coach, is the fact this is not all Trae Young’s doing, everyone is contributing.
The Hawks bench of Huerter, Williams, and Gallonari are all valuable parts to this team’s success while Williams and Gallonari are a part of the few Hawks with playoff experience.
Also, the additions of Bogdan Bogdanovic and Clint Capela continue to look better and better as this team continues to make its playoff run.
After many years in Houston reaching the Western Conference Finals and being a role player, Capela is finding a home in Atlanta and resembling the Hawks legend Dkembe Mutumbo while doing it.
Capela is currently second in playoff blocks and third in playoff rebounding, continuously proving that he is a difference maker while on the floor.
As for Bogdanovic, he currently has the fifth highest plus/minus of anyone in the playoffs at +78 while giving Atlanta another dependable offensive talent. Bogdanovic’s impact goes further than numbers due to his defensive ability as he showed throughout the first round.
After clinching their spot in the eastern conference semifinals, the Hawks will try and continue to do damage to their opponents but this is no easy feat.
Through the three regular season meetings between these two clubs the Sixers won two of them and when you look at these teams on paper there might be a clear favorite.
However, over the last few months the Hawks have shown they’re nothing to mess with either while both the Hawks and the 76ers have posted a 31-12 record since March 1st.
Even with Philly potentially missing their MVP candidate in Joel Embiid I’m sure most people will write the Hawks off, but after what I just witnessed, I’d say the Hawks will give the 76ers fits.
