Atlanta Hawks Headlines: Optimism, Rankings, And More
Today’s installment of Atlanta Hawks Headlines features content on the remainder of Atlanta’s regular season, Atlanta’s front office compared to the rest of the NBA, potential playoff opponents, and more.
Thank you for joining us here at Atlanta Hawks Headlines. The doom and gloom from earlier in the week is nowhere to be found. Today is a day about optimism. The Hawks were on the brink of an all out collapse, but back-to-back wins against bottom-feeding teams rescued their season.
Now they just have to tread water and hope that Paul Millsap is healthy by the time the playoffs come. Easy enough, right? Okay, maybe it’s not so easy. But at least the Hawks have a few reasons to be optimistic.
Two weeks from today the NBA Playoffs will begin! It’s crunch-time. The regular season is coming to a close. I can feel the excitement bubbling underneath the surface. Get excited, Hawks fans. Let’s take a look at today’s articles.
From Soaring Down South 3/31/2017
Why Atlanta Hawks Fans Should Be (Cautiously) Optimistic
Jerome Boateng says that Hawks fans should be cautiously optimistic as the playoffs approach. Boateng cites Dwight Howard‘s performance, Ersan Ilyasova‘s spark, and Taurean Prince‘s emergence as reasons the Hawks could peak in the playoffs. The return of a healthy Paul Millsap would also help their chances. Things are not as bleak as they looked one week ago.
More from Soaring Down South
- Start, Bench, Cut: Sorting through the Hawks’ power forward options
- Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic reacts to earning FIBA World Cup championship bid
- When does training camp start for the Atlanta Hawks?
- Grade the trade: Hawks deal Trae Young to Clippers in shocking proposal
- Dejounte Murray rips NBA 2K after Atlanta Hawks ratings reveal
The Atlanta Hawks Need Two Wins This Weekend
Collin Huguley says that the Hawks need to win both games this weekend. Both games come on the road, but they come against teams that are out of the playoff picture. Saturday’s game against the Chicago Bulls is an opportunity for the Hawks to sweep the season series against Chicago. Sunday’s trip to Brooklyn gives Atlanta a chance to exact a little revenge on the Nets for last weekend’s disappointing loss.
Ranking Potential First Round Playoff Opponents For the Atlanta Hawks
Jack O’Donnell ranks all of Atlanta’s potential first round playoff opponents. The Hawks desperately want to avoid the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards. They matchup relatively well against the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors.
Hawks Around The Web 3/31/2017
Locked on Hawks podcast: 76ers recap, Kent Bazemore and more
On Locked on Hawks, Brad Rowland recaps Atlanta’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers, discusses Kent Bazemore‘s big return, and delves into several other Hawks topics.
Taurean Prince’s Improved Transition Game
At Peachtree Hoops, Glen Willis breaks down Taurean Prince’s improved transition game. Prince has shown steady improvement throughout the course of the regular season. When his jumper becomes more consistent, Prince is going to be an extremely important piece in Atlanta’s rotation.
2017 NBA management rankings: Exec ratings, from top to bottom
ESPN.com’s executive ratings were unveiled this week. Atlanta’s front office consisting of President Mike Budenholzer and General Manager Wes Wilcox ranked 15th. They were rated on variety of skills including leadership, short-term success, and long-term success.
2017 NBA management rankings: Coach ratings, from top to bottom
The Hawks fared better in ESPN.com’s coach rankings. Mike Budenholzer was rated as the 11th best coach in the NBA. The criteria used to rank head coaches was similar to the criteria used to rank front office members.
At Hawks Hoop, Eric Yeboah writes on Taurean Prince’s emergence. The more Prince plays, the more he impresses. Both his teammates, coaches, and fans seem to have taken notice of Prince’s outstanding play of late.
Next: Atlanta Hawks Mock Draft: First Edition
That’s all for today. We’ll see you tomorrow for more Hawks talk.