After a slumping start to their 2021-22 campaign, the Atlanta Hawks have turned their season around and will be competing in the play-in tournament. Going up against a high-flying Charlotte Hornets team that's determined to return to postseason relevance, this will certainly be no easy feat for the Hawks.

However, they do possess a ton of talent and have the depth and firepower to match wits with any opponent they cross paths with. As they work tirelessly to return to playoff dominance and capture the Eastern Conference crown, the Hawks are bound to make some noise. We'll now discuss three bold predictions for the Hawks during their play-in game against the Hornets.

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3 Bold Predictions For Hawks in Play-In Tournament

Trae Young will outplay LaMelo Ball 

With two of the brightest young stars in the NBA going head-to-head on Wednesday night, this will undoubtedly be a box office showing. Young and Ball are a pair of multi-skilled guards that greatly impact their team's success. Now that Young has a surprise run to the conference finals under his belt, it's only fitting that his skill and experience will outweigh the dynamic play of Ball.

It shouldn't come as any surprise to see the Hawks star come up with a series of big buckets that will lead the Hawks back into the postseason. Fresh off his stellar performance in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, Young's already developed a clutch gene that few players in the league can match. So it's hard to imagine that LaMelo will be able to outplay the best combo guard in the NBA.

The Atlanta Hawks will put on a shooting clinic 

Currently boasting a roster of high percentage shooters, it shouldn't come as any surprise to see the Hawks light up the scoreboard against the Hornets. Especially with players like Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter, John Collins, and Lou Williams in their rotation.

The Hawks' seamless ball movement, 3-point shooting, and deep roster of scorers will have them in a high-scoring affair during their play-in game against the Hornets. Aiming to pull off a few upsets in this year's playoffs, the Hawks are bound to have another big scoring night.

 

The Hawks will beat the Hornets to advance 

Now that the Hawks are in need of two wins to officially punch their playoff ticket, this is an absolute must-win for them. Given the well-rounded squad that they currently possess, coming away with a win shouldn't be too tall of a task for them to handle. They are a more experienced and deeper team which should give them an edge in this highly anticipated East Coast showcase.

Their grit, perseverance, and constant fight are what's kept their season alive and there's no doubt they'll be going all-out to pull off another crucial win against Charlotte. Even though they seem to have the upper hand ahead of this game, they definitely won't be taking the Hornets lightly. With their season on the line once again, the Hawks will be making all the stops to seal the victory.