Subscribe
Follow Us
Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks didn't start off the 2023-24 season on the right foot, losing their first game against the mediocre Charlotte Hornets then failing to bounce back against old rival New York Knicks. But since then, the Hawks have gone on to win three straight games, including a blowout win over the much-ballyhooed Milwaukee Bucks, a 21-point comeback win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, and a thorough demolition of the moribund Washington Wizards.
With the NBA In-Season Tournament beckoning, the Hawks are picking up the pace at just the right time. They will be beginning their in-season tournament journey on November 14 against the Detroit Pistons, following that up with contests against fellow Eastern Conference Group A teams Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
NBA In-Season Tournament format, explained
Each team will play a guaranteed four games, one contest apiece against every member of their group. This will both count as regular-season games and NBA In-Season Tournament contests. Only the top team of the group is guaranteed to advance to the knockout stage. Thus, there will be three teams from each conference to advance to the eight-team, single-elimination quarterfinals stage. Two teams would then round out the proceedings by virtue of qualifying via the wild card — the best non-group winning team.
All NBA In-Season Tournament games, apart from the championship matchup, will count towards a team's regular-season record. (The NBA has adjusted teams' schedules for the sole purpose of accommodating this new tournament.)
Hawks' In-Season Tournament Schedule, Opponents, and Bold Predictions
Game 1: Detroit Pistons
- Tuesday, November 14
- 8:00 PM ET
- Little Caesars Arena
For the past few seasons, the Pistons have been one of the league's doormats. But the 2023-24 season iteration of the Pistons aren't that big of a pushover as they are in years past. With Cade Cunningham blossoming into one of the best young shot-creators in the league and Ausar Thompson ready to overwhelm opponents with his athletic gifts, not to mention the rest of the burgeoning Pistons' young core, the Hawks will have to be cautious not to underestimate this team.
But the Hawks, under Quin Snyder's tutelage, have been a steady, coherent team making the most out of their arsenal of do-it-all wings in De'Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, and Saddiq Bey. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray are also getting a better feel of how to play alongside each other. In the end, this should be an easy victory for the Hawks.
Game 2: Philadelphia 76ers
- Friday, November 17
- 8:30 PM ET
- State Farm Arena
The difficulty ratchets up from 1 to 10 when the Hawks take on the Sixers in their second group stage game. Joel Embiid remains at the top of his game, and Tyrese Maxey has blossomed into an All-Star caliber player in the early goings of the season, making them a tough team to face even in the aftermath of the James Harden trade.
The Sixers also have more versatile defenders to deploy in Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum should it come to that, while De'Anthony Melton should be tasked with chasing Trae Young all over the court. The Hawks, meanwhile, should have the size to deal with Embiid in the paint, with Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu forming a strong tag-team for them on the interior.
In what should be a nip-and-tuck game, however, expect the Sixers, a team with a more consistent source of offense on crunch-time in Joel Embiid, to pull out the victory.
Game 3: Indiana Pacers
- Tuesday, November 21
- 8:30 PM ET
- State Farm Arena
The Indiana Pacers are definitely a wildcard team; they can compete on any given night against any given opponent depending on whether they're making shots. Led by Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers can be difficult to stop when they're on a roll. And they'll be well-rested when they take on the Hawks in the NBA In-Season tournament, as it will just be their second game in three nights following four full days of rest.
But the Hawks should be well-rested as well, as they'll have three full days off before they take on the Pacers. That should help Trae Young and company handle business accordingly, putting them well within contention of a spot in the knockout stages entering their final group stage game.
Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers
- Tuesday, November 28
- 8:30 PM ET
- Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
The Cavs have endured a few injury problems to begin the year, with Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen missing the majority of their games thus far. This has put the Cavs at a tough position, necessitating even more ball-dominance from Donovan Mitchell and forcing Caris LeVert and other role players to step up.
By the end of November, the Cavs figure to have most, if not all, of the core members of their roster back healthy. The Cavs should be getting into a rhythm by then, getting into the 50-win groove they had last season at the Hawks' expense.
Final prediction: Hawks go 2-2, fail to make knockout stage
