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After surprisingly reaching the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals last season, the eyeballs were on the Atlanta Hawks to build on their fantastic run and possibly elevate their play the following year. That was not the case as Atlanta plummeted down the standings and finished as the ninth seed of the conference. With the play-in tournament in place, it gave the Hawks an opportunity to advance to the playoffs by winning two successive games and moving forward to compete with the Miami Heat in a seven-game series.
Tree Young was the leader of both massive victories as they triumphed over the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers contest was a nip-and-tuck affair, but Young stamped his class in the second half as the best player on the floor. As the Hawks move onto an arduous series with the Heat, these are some predictions for Atlanta for their first-round series that is expected to be a barnburner affair right from the get-go.
3. John Collins is the x-factor of the series
With Clint Capela possibly missing an extended period of time, John Collins is questionable for Game 1 and possibly be inserted to play over 30 minutes from the onset. His versatility and athleticism would be vital in the matchup against one of the best big men in the league in Bam Adebayo. Onyeka Okongwu would likely start in Capela's position, but it is Collins who would be utilized for longer spurts in this series.
If Collins is able to produce similar to the early months of the season, he would be an enormous boost as a two-way small-ball five who could spell some trouble for Adebayo. Furthermore, Collins must maximize the pick-and-roll sets of the Hawks with Young, especially with the Heat known as a squad that switches on almost every kind of movement.
2. Bogdan Bogdanovic outplays Tyler Herro in the series
One of the best moments of Tyler Herro's career was his emergence as a legitimate three-level scorer in the 2020 NBA playoffs. The pressure continued to heighten for him in his young career as he failed to live up to it in 2021 before being the current favorite for the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year plum. It is playoff time once again, and Bogdan Bogdanovic will elevate his numbers once again and possibly perform better than Herro.
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Herro is the more household name for NBA fans, but Bogdanovic will have a bigger impact in this series as the steady presence who will keep the ship afloat when guys like Young are struggling from the field. Similar to the Cavaliers' win, Bogdanovic was consistent all throughout the game before Young took over in the second half. Herro may have more highlight-worthy plays, but it will be Bogdanovic who would be that spectacular shooter who would space the floor and provide a secondary playmaker spot alongside Young.
1. Trae Young will be the best player of the series
Heat fans may lose their mind and argue they have Adebayo and Jimmy Butler on their roster to match up with the likes of Young. However, Butler was a disaster in the 2021 playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, while Adebayo was a no-show as well. Conversely, Trae Young welcomed the immense playoff pressure and attention as he blossomed into one of the best point guards in the association.
Young will likely receive a plethora of boos and jeers from the Miami crowd right from the onset, but they must realize that he thrives by hearing all the external noise while he is on the court. For Young, it is not just all on the scoring department as he also led the league in total assists this year, so the Heat will have that huge challenge of containing his teammates as well. With Kyle Lowry or Jimmy Butler likely getting the Young matchup, it will be a long series for these two stars in chasing the maestro from Atlanta.
If everything goes right for this Atlanta franchise, the Hawks have a puncher's chance of upsetting the number one seed in the Heat. There is no room for error for Nate McMillan and the Atlanta Hawks, but for them to cause some trouble, they must steal Game 1 at the FTX Arena.
