Atlanta Hawks 2018-19 Schedule Release: Seven Intriguing Matchups
A Familiar Face Turned Foe
@ Oklahoma City Friday November 30th 2018, at 8:00 PM EST
Last but certainly not least, we spotlight a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This matchup would have possibly been spotlighted anyway, as OKC is a perennial playoff team. However when the Atlanta Hawks traded point guard Dennis Schröder to the Thunder, the games became “Must See TV”!
Tauren Price vs Paul George is certainly a duel to keep and eye on. This is yet another opportunity for Taurean to measure his game against a member of Team USA. Prince who averaged 19 points per game for the 2nd half of last season, will be attempting to maintain, and even improve upon, that total next season.
The main event in this game will obviously be the point guard matchups. Trae Young and Jeremy Lin, against Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schröder, will certainly be interesting. Rookie guard Trae Young will have his hands full with former NBA MVP, Russell Westbrook. So much so, that Atlanta is likely to turn elsewhere, for a primary defender on Westbrook. It will be interesting to see if Young is able to score on the athletic point guard with ease, or if it’s a struggle for him.
Jeremy Lin and Dennis Schröder, should match-up head to head quite often. Each player will run their team’s respective second unit. However, there will be times when there are two PG lineups for both teams. At that point, we should get a few minutes of the matchup that Atlanta Hawks’ fans everywhere are anticipating, Trae Young vs Dennis Schröder!
Schröder is certain to attack Trae Young with the ferocity of a scorned ex, in an effort to prove to the Hawks that he is the superior point guard. Trae Young certainly won’t back down from the challenge, and is sure to go right back at Dennis Schröder. It will certainly make for compelling television for fans of the Atlanta Hawks, and the entire NBA.
The battle will surely be discussed amongst Hawks’ fans on Social media. There is a contingent of fans, that really wanted Dennis Schröder to stay. There is also a section of fans, that were against drafting the polarizing Trae Young. I do believe Trae Young will hold his own and ultimately take the edge in the match-up.
Atlanta Hawks fans can view the rematch live here in Atlanta, on Tuesday January 15th 2019, at 7:30 PM EST.
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It is an exciting time, as the Atlanta Hawks will finally begin to reflect the vision of General Manager Travis Schlenk. This team will certainly be fun to watch, and definitely more suited for today’s small ball era. Since the arrival of Trae Young, the Hawks have gotten more national exposure than I can remember. I expect that trend to continue upward. There are sure to be many more interesting matchups as the season progresses. Chris Guest of Soaring Down South, broke down the Atlanta Hawks’ entire schedule here.
Despite all of the warranted optimism, there will undoubtedly be growing pains with a team this young. I predict that the Hawks will improve from last season by five games. That means another lottery pick, to go into Travis Schlenk’s arsenal of assets. So be patient Atlanta Hawks’ fans, I suspect we will see a return to the playoffs in the 2019-2020 season.
Predicted Record: 29-53
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