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With the NBA schedule officially released, one thing that's for certain is that every team will be playing each other at some point during the season. The one thing that's not for certain is how those teams will perform, which makes things interesting. For the Atlanta Hawks, they finished last season with a 36-46 record and didn't make the playoffs, but this year there will be some new faces and new expectations for players that were already on the team.
There will be a few key points during the season that can make or break the Hawks, and here are just a few that will determine what their record could be at the end of April.
A fast start is needed
The best thing that you can do in any sport is start fast, especially basketball. The Hawks didn't have a fast start last season, and they paid for it for the remainder of the season. Luckily for the Hawks, they have a favorable schedule to start the year. The first four of their five games are against the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards, all teams that did not have great seasons last year.
This will be the perfect opportunity for the Hawks to get the season started on the right note, and it will also be a test for them to see where they are as a team. If they drop some of those games, it could mean that they're still trying to figure things out which could be a cause for concern.
NBA Cup champions?
As the season continues, the cup night games will be taking place. The Hawks are in the group with the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics and Cavaliers pose the biggest threat in the group, and playing those two teams will also give the Hawks a chance to see how they stack up amongst the league. The Celtics will most likely be one of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, while the Cavaliers have shown the past two seasons that can be in the mix as well.
The Hawks released their NBA Cup schedule with a gender reveal theme 🎊
(via @ATLHawks)
pic.twitter.com/gc1EqT0j8z— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 13, 2024
Last season, nobody expected the Indiana Pacers to make it to the NBA Cup Final, but they put many on notice and then ended up making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Can the Hawks possibly do the same thing?
New year on the west coast
Starting the season off strong is important, but starting the new year off on a high note should be at the top of the list for the Hawks too, because they'll be running into some good teams on the west coast. The Hawks start 2025 against the Denver Nuggets and two days later face the Los Angeles Lakers, who right now are a question mark on how good they'll be this season.
Following the Lakers game, the Hawks will take on the Los Angeles Clippers, with despite Paul George leaving, should still be a good team with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. The Utah Jazz will be up next, a team with some young talent that could figure it out this season. To finish the road trip, the Hawks will face the Phoenix Suns, who should always be seen as a threat with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. If the Hawks can come out of that road trip 3-2, it could be a success.
Finishing strong down the stretch
The month of April could either be an important month for the Hawks, or they could be hoping that the Sacramento Kings are making the playoffs and the Lakers aren't doing well, since they own both team's draft picks. The Hawks play a few playoff teams in April such as the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Orlando Magic twice. Those teams could be playing for playoff seeding at this time in the season, so they'll be on their A-game, and the Hawks could most likely be in the same situation as them.
Record prediction
With some new faces on the roster and the Eastern Conference not getting any easier, the Hawks could be in for a long season, but there's no doubt they have the talent to compete every night. Depending on how players such as Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher perform over the season, this Hawks team could surprise some people, or they could once again be a middle-of-the-pack team. The best case is that they're in the sixth through eighth seed range. 48 wins last year in the Eastern Conference was able to get a team to the fourth seed, but things could be different this season.
Prediction: 48-34
