The Atlanta Hawks have certainly not played the way that they were hoping for this season but much of that can be due to their inability to stay healthy for some of their key guys.
They have been playing some good basketball as of late and they're going to look to continue what they've been able to do the past few games for the remainder of the season. They're currently the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 21-25 record.
Unfortunately for Atlanta, this was not the season that anybody had envisioned as they made an Eastern Conference Final a season ago. Although the Hawks do have their star in Trae Young, there have still been some other players who are not getting the recognition that they deserve from fans or the national media.
Let's take a look at the three biggest unsung heroes of this year's Atlanta Hawks team.
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Hawks Unsung Heroes 2022
3. John Collins
For some strange reason this season, many people are still undervaluing what John Collins can bring to a court. He has proven that he can be an elite forward in this league as he's currently averaging 17 points per game and 7.9 rebounds. There can even be an argument to be made that if he did not have to play next to Trae Young, who is ball-dominant, he could be a guy who could score 23 plus points per night.
Collins has really evolved his game ever since he entered the league and he was certainly a big reason why the Hawks were able to find that success they did last year.
He's evolved his game, even more, this season on both sides of the basketball and it is questionable why many people in the Hawks organization and fanbase want to potentially trade him at the deadline. Collins is one of those guys who can just go out there and do everything on the court, essentially everything that a championship team needs.
There are still some questions obviously about John Collins and his game but that is just like everybody in the NBA who is only 24 years old. There are nights when he does not dominate as much as he should but that could definitely be part of the reason he is getting frustrated because he just simply isn't getting the ball as much as he wants.
2. Kevin Huerter
Kevin Huerter has had an interesting year after really showing last season in the playoffs that he could be one of the elite 3-point shooters in this league. He has certainly played better this season in terms of efficiency but is averaging just a bit less than what he did a season ago.
Kevin Huerter is still one of those guys who is vital to this Hawks team because they are a team that loves to shoot the 3-point shot. Huerter could end up being one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA one day.
Unfortunately for Atlanta, he has missed a few games this season and that certainly did not help them as they have gone through many struggles this year. If they're going to want to get back on track, they're going to need Kevin Huerter to play the way that he did in last year's playoff and be able to stay healthy and on the court.
Huerter is one of those guys who is always in the right place at the right time and finds a way to make things happen for this Hawks team. He is another guy who if he was not on their roster a season ago, there's a very good chance that they would not have beaten the Philadelphia 76ers and almost make a NBA championship after losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
1. Clint Capela
Clint Capela is another Hawk who unfortunately has missed some games this season, but when he is on the court, there is no denying that he is arguably one of the best centers in the NBA. He is another guy on this Atlanta Hawks team who certainly does not get the type of recognition that he deserves by fans or any national media outlets. He's currently averaging 11.5 points per game as well as 12.8 rebounds, which ranks the third-best in the NBA. Capela has a top 30 PER in the NBA and it just shows what type of impact he has on both sides of the ball.
Not only has Capela really stepped up on both sides of the ball this season, but he also opens up the offense for this Hawks team more than anybody realizes. If Trae Young did not have him for those alley-oop opportunities that they always get, the Hawks offense would not be as good as it is because it allows Trae Young to do some of his magic around the basket with his floaters and also allows defenders to sag off of him which leads to more three-point shot opportunities for the star.
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