Atlanta Hawks: 10 Best Games on 2018-19 Schedule
By Chris Guest
Hawks vs. Mavs, Wednesday Oct. 24, 7:00 p.m. EST
Could there be any doubt? This has been a marquee matchup ever since the schedule was released earlier in the offseason.
Not only is Luka Doncic the presumptive favorite to win Rookie of the Year, but the Hawks traded Doncic for our new point guard, Trae Young, on draft night.
With all that extraneous drama, the game itself should also be fascinating, with DeAndre Jordan now on the Mavs, and the continued growth of Dennis Smith Jr. expected.
On top of all the on-court intrigue, this game will mark the grand opening of the newly renovated State Farm Arena, which promises to be a massive upgrade over Philips Arena.
Hawks vs. Kings, Thursday Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m. EST
Next up is an early season matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
Last year, the Atlanta Hawks got off to a rough start by losing 12 of their first 14 games. Not until the team faced a hapless Kings squad (which featured current Hawk Vince Carter) did the Hawks finally get off the schneid and completely obliterate the Kings by 46 points – the largest margin of victory in Atlanta Hawks franchise history.
While it is unrealistic to expect another record-breaking drubbing, this game should have a wealth of young talent, and will also be Hawks’ fans first up-close look at Marvin Bagley, who the team could’ve taken had the Kings not jumped on him at #2 overall.
Beyond that, De’Aaron Fox vs. Trae Young should be a great battle of young, up-and-coming point guards.