Even though the Holiday season is in full swing, there’s a cloud of sorrow over the State Farm Arena as the Hawks find themselves on a four-game losing streak. It began with a seven-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets on December 18th, followed by a devastating 28-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs on December 19th.
After morale was at an all-time low, the Chicago Bulls landed in Atlanta after two wins over the Cavaliers in Cleveland. It was a frenetic pace for all four quarters, culminating with a 152-150 final score in favor of Chicago.
The Bulls & Hawks would run it back two nights later, and yet again, it was another shootout until the very end. Atlanta would lose for the second time, 126-123, extending the streak to four.
It’s their longest losing streak of the season, and now they have to deal with the burn of knowing a foul called on Zaccharie Risacher in the clutch shouldn’t have been called. As of December 25th, they’re ranked 9th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-16.
Atlanta thought their savior had arrived with Trae Young returning to the lineup, but they’ve yet to win a game. Two spectacular performances were not enough, so the Hawks have been forced to recalibrate over this Holiday break.
31 games down, 51 more to go.
To say this season has been a disappointment would be an understatement, and the schedule is only getting harder. Young and the Hawks will face the New York Knicks (twice), Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, and Oklahoma City Thunder in their next five games.
It’ll be their second time facing the defending champions and their first time playing the other three teams this season. Of the four, the worst team is the Heat at 15-15, and they’ve lost their last three games. Depending on how things go against Miami, the verdict will be out on the “new Atlanta Hawks.”
We saw the same Hawks team that defeated the Los Angeles Lakers with six key players missing lose to the 15th-seeded Washington Wizards while almost fully healthy. It’s evident this current roster isn’t enough to compete in the playoffs, let alone for a championship. Two key acquisitions in Luke Kennard and Kristaps Porzingis have been massive disappointments.
Kennard was signed over the offseason to give Atlanta some much-needed three-point shooting. The former Duke Blue Devil has been extremely passive on offense, passing up wide-open shots routinely. His hesitation has been one of two huge setbacks for Atlanta, the second being Porzingis’ health.
The former NBA Champion has missed the last seven games due to an illness, and this isn’t his first absence to illness this season. At 30 years old, it’s apparent that his health has taken a major hit, and the Hawks don’t have the time to wait for solutions.
Porzingis is making $30 million on a one-year deal, so the front office will surely look to move him before the trade deadline on February 5th. Now that more than a quarter of the season is complete, it’s evident that Atlanta has a glaring hole at center, and if the Hawks don’t make a move, it’ll be yet another early summer vacation for this young core.