Who says resumption of the NBA season says need for motivation. And who says need for motivation says…? Find good reasons! For each team of the 2022-23 season, we wanted to be useful, helpful, and a little funny if the subject allows it. Here are the 10 good reasons to follow the Atlanta Hawks over the next few months, between rivalries and strokes of genius.
#1 : Trae Young face aux Knicks
The NBA needs rivalries to tell its best stories. Trae Young knows this and decided to take matters into his own hands and created one himself. The League’s most hated superstar therefore has a well-found rival: the New York Knicks. Booed every time they go out to Madison Square Garden, Ice Trae takes pleasure in torturing them pretty much every time. During the 2021 Playoffs of course, with the birth of a new brand of air conditioners, then last March in particular, since Trae Young had had enough and then said stop with 45 points, a 117-111 victory, the ankles of Taj Gibson broken and a statement on the whistles of the MSG not loud enough according to him. Phew, quickly, the rest.
TRAE IS FILTHY!!!!! pic.twitter.com/tG7IBdIQ4r
— NBA UK (@NBAUK) March 23, 2022
#2 : Bogdan Bogdanovic in bank sortie
Bogdan Bogdanović has never been a entrenched starter. With the exception of his freshman year in the NBA, with the Sacramento Kings, he has never started more than 30 games in a season. In 2021-22, he nevertheless had his chance at the start of the exercise: holder for the first 21 meetings, he was only seven times thereafter. This season, with the return of De’Andre Hunter to full health and, most importantly, the arrival of Dejounte Murray, he should once again start most games on the bench. Not a problem, we know what he can do and can bring. offensive leader of the second unit, he will release his 15 points at 44% shooting and 39% at 3-point range. Free agent at the end of the season, he will necessarily want to shine and it can give some good performances, we just hope to see him as soon as the recovery because he is not yet 100% recovered from a knee operation undergone during the summer.
#3: Sir Foster on the organ at the State Farm Arena
This year it should be fine, but when the Hawks don’t have the results they can always count on… Sir Foster. Since 2009, SF has become known for its varied repertoire and its madness on the keyboard, whether the performance is musical or theatrical. Considered by many to be one of the best atmosphere in the League, Sir Foster was the organist of the All-Star Game five years in a row, between 2014 and 2018. The big atmosphere guarantee at the State Farm Arena, the… only.
#4: the arrival in town of Dejounte Murray
Obviously, this is the big trade of the summer in Georgia. The Hawks wanted to improve their defense, especially in the backcourt, it’s now done. Dejounte Murray arrives from the San Antonio Spurs against Danilo Gallinari and three first rounds of drafts, plus a little swap to make sure it’s all worth it. The association with Trae Young will send heavy and we are sure not to be disappointed offensively watching this Hawks team. In addition, DM will do a lot of good for the external defense, because you have to say things as they are, Trae Young or a plot, you can’t really see the difference. Dejounte Murray has in any case already announced the color: he is there to serve as an example, especially in defense therefore, whether by word or deed. We hope for him and his new franchise that it will follow behind.
#5: Travis Schlenk’s eyes on a third star
As we have just said, Atlanta and its Director of Sneaker Operations have made a big splash this summer. But if this Trae Young / Dejounte Murray association is not enough, we could well be eyeing a third star on the side of the Hawks. No name has yet been mentioned but we imagine it would be somewhere in the frontcourt. Many rumors were heard during the summer, about the possible departures of Clint Capela and John Collins in particular, and if the results do not follow, it is a safe bet that these rumors will reappear very quickly. Situation to watch.
#6: John Collins baptizing four or five lost souls
Doesn’t the Hawks front office like to decorate its room with pretty posters? Because to see the trouble he went to get rid of John Collins, there’s reason to think that we don’t like dunks on the Atlanta side. Here at the editorial office, we are rather aesthetes, without any pretension, and the Collins gives us a lot of fun. We are therefore happy that he is still there and there, installed as a holder in position 4. The defenders of the League perhaps a little less, because some took it for their rank: Jarrett Allen, Kelly Olynyk, Joel Embiid , Joel Embiid again… Well, we’re not going to list them all but many of them have taken the John Collins train on their heads, and we hope that it will continue.
#7: the four games against Paolo Banchero
Paolo Banchero has just been drafted in first position by the Orlando Magic, and everyone is excited at the idea of seeing him play as the prospect is so promising. Finally, everyone or almost, because there is one who does not appreciate it too much at the moment. Dejounte Murray vs Paolo Banchero, there is trouble on the line, all this goes back quite a long way but we realized it this summer, when the two kids from Seattle found themselves in a Pro / Am tournament in their city native. We’ll let you go and see our recap of the time which tells you all about it in detail, but if you dig a little deeper, it still looks like a beef one-sided, but it doesn’t matter since the two will end up in the same division this season. And who says same division says four games between Atlanta and Orlando, and four opportunities to see a fiery atmosphere and trashtalking as we like it.
#8: The development of Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson
Onyeka Okongwu is progressing. He is progressing very well even: he has doubled all his stats, playing time, points, rebounds and assists, between his rookie season and his sophomore season. Okongwu is a circle protector, a very good pivot on pick and roll, a kind of Clint Capela 2.0 in younger and perhaps faster in attack. He has already taken the scalp of some big names in the League with some monstrous blocks and, with more playing time this season – he is even said to be capable of starting – he should continue his march. ahead. For Jalen Johnson, the situation is different. It’s only his second season in the NBA, he’s only played 20 games and just over 100 minutes in the Big League, but he’s impressed in the G League with some interesting stats: 20 points at 45% shooting and 11 rebounds, solid. JJ will be able to show this season that he can claim more than 5 minutes in position 4, where he will compete in the rotation with Justin Holiday in particular.
#9: Clint Capela protecting his hoop
A bit like his buddy Collins, but this time in defense, something always happens when Clint Capela goes to the circle to find his opponent there. And as a nice counter and a finger that says no are worth just as much as a big dunk and muscles that swell, we never tire of seeing the Swiss defend his painting.
#10: A full season of De’Andre Hunter
De’Andre Hunter did the job last season, but he missed two months of competition and therefore 25 games, almost a third of the season. That’s a lot and that’s one of the reasons for the Falcons’ average season in 2022. Paradoxically, he came back stronger from his injury: from 11 points and 2.5 rebounds to 14 points and 3.5 rebounds, its second part of the season is therefore in clear progress. He even had fun in the Playoffs with a big performance in Game 5 against Miami: 35 points at 52% shooting and 42% at 3-points and 11 rebounds, while Trae Young gave us a baby game with 11 small dots in one elimination game (and elimination there was). So unless he needs to get injured to play well afterwards, we can’t wait to see what it can do over an entire season.