After making the Eastern Conference Finals a season ago, the Atlanta Hawks are off to a discouraging start to their 2021-22 campaign. For a team that came just two wins shy of making the NBA Finals, they'd ideally want to carry the momentum from that promising run and come out strong to open the season. However, things just haven't gone the way they expected it to be for this young, up-and-coming squad.
Still, the Hawks and its fans should not hang their heads too much on this slow start. It may not be looking good on the surface since they have lost six in a row and eight of their last nine and are now 4-9 on the season. And it's not as if they've dealt with injuries with their stars. Trae Young, John Collins, and Clint Capela have appeared in all their games so far, while Bogdan Bogdanovic has only missed one outing.
Nonetheless, Atlanta should look at the bright side and take this early season struggle as fuel for them to bounce back. With that said, the Hawks should be just fine moving forward. Here are three reasons why.
The Hawks Will Be Fine – The Proof!
1. Strength of Schedule
This is perhaps where Hawks fans can find the most solace amidst their poor start to the campaign. According to ESPN, Atlanta has had the second strongest schedule across the league so far, just behind the Memphis Grizzlies. Looking at their opponents, it actually should not be that shocking to see them this low on the standings through their first 13 games.
Their last nine games have been absolutely brutal. Here's how their slate went through that harsh schedule: Washington, Philadelphia, Washington, Brooklyn, Utah, Phoenix, Golden State and Utah on a back-to-back, and most recently Denver. Yikes. They only managed to win the second game against the Wizards.
Atlanta's schedule should ease up a bit. They will face the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year, up next. But Milwaukee is severely banged up with injuries right now and has also struggled out of the gates. After the Bucks, they get Orlando, Boston, Charlotte, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio. That's still not a schedule they should just easily stroll through, but at least it isn't the gauntlet they went through over their last nine.
With the schedule bound to get easier, the Hawks should be able to climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings, where they are currently at 13th.
2. Clint Capela still working to regain his form
Starting center Clint Capela hasn't quite been himself just yet since the season started. That's because the Swiss big man dealt with an Achilles injury during the summer and has so far lacked the same kind of explosiveness he possessed last season. Capela averaged 15.2 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 2020-21. Those numbers are down to 10.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks through 13 games this year.
Capela is obviously an important piece to the championship puzzle the Hawks are trying to build. Thus, they will really need him to regain the form he had a year ago. Still, it's difficult for anyone to work their way back into shape coming off an injury. Capela should be able to do so as the season rolls along though.
3. Still reintegrating their previously injured wings
Another reason why Atlanta might be struggling early in the season is because they are trying to re-integrate De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish back into the mix. The Hawks spent the majority of the previous season without the two young forwards.
Hunter played just 23 games over three months before coming back near the end of the regular season. He played in their first round series against the New York Knicks but missed the rest of Atlanta's postseason run due to a torn meniscus. Meanwhile, Reddish missed all but 13 games of the regular year due to an Achilles injury before coming back during the conference finals, where he had a couple of solid outings in the big stage.
The two young wings have so far looked healthy through the early goings of the campaign. With Hunter and Reddish back and playing huge rotation minutes, the Hawks are likely going through a transition phase as they work the two wings into the fold.
Hunter and Reddish are undoubtedly going to be key for Atlanta's success. They are both high-upside wings who will be able to contribute on both ends of the floor and play a huge part for them, especially on defense. The two talented forwards should be able to get better as the season goes along. When they find their form and their rhythm, Atlanta should get those wins and rise in the standings.
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