The Atlanta Hawks are winning more, but is it costly?
You know how the old saying goes: “a win is a win”… except when it’s not. As I’m writing this, the Atlanta Hawks have won two of their last 3 games.
Their only loss was a near win against the defending world champion Golden State Warriors. They are currently engaged in a very close battle with the Toronto Raptors. The young birds have adjusted nicely to the insertion of John Collins and Dwayne Dedmon into the starting lineup. The Hawks seem to really be gelling as we head down the stretch run of the NBA regular season, but at what cost?
Though the Atlanta Hawks have been competitive in a majority of the games this year, this is clearly a rebuilding season. The fans, as well as the front office of the team, have focused on draft prospects, ping-pong balls, and probabilities. The more losses a team has, the more chances they have to win the NBA Draft lottery. The team with the worse record, has a 25% chance to secure the #1 pick in this year’s loaded draft class.
Lead by Taurean Prince and his 6 3-pointers, including the game winning three, The Atlanta Hawks “improved their win total to 20 with a 1 point win over the Phoenix Suns. SI recapped the win here: https://www.si.com/nba/game/1947280 This win tied the Hawks with 4 other teams for the 4th best chance to secure the #1 pick in the draft. Depending on tie breakers, if the season ended today, the Hawks would have between an 11.9% and 4.3% chance to win the draft lottery. Click the link below to take a peak at the NBA Standings. https://www.si.com/nba/standings/league
It is imperative the Hawks land a top 3 pick in this year’s upcoming draft. Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, and Luka Doncic are widely considered the top 3 prospects in the 2018 draft. Michael Porter Jr is considered to be just as talented but his recent back injury is a major concern. Every other prospect has major questions, rather it be Trae Young’s defense, Mo Bamba’s offense, or Miles Bridges’ position fit. And the gap between picks 5 and 8, is the size of the Grand Canyon.
I love the Atlanta Hawks’ heart, but something must be done to secure top 3 odds in the draft lottery. The organization should take a page from the Chicago Bulls’ strategy book, and begin resting more starters such as, Dennis Schröder, Kent Bazemore, and Dwayne Dedmon. Coach Bud should also mimic the plan of Dallas Mavericks’ Coach Rick Carlisle, and sit some of the more talented veteran Hawks, during 4th quarter crunch time. The Atlanta Hawks’ organization must do everything possible to secure a High Draft pick. Without such a pick, the Hawks will find it extremely difficult to draft that game changing superstar, that the franchise and fan-base have been thirsting for. The tank must roll on at all cost!
Update: The Raptors pulled away in the 4th quarter to defeat the Hawks 106-90. SI has the recap here:
https://www.si.com/nba/game/1948349
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