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Coronavirus: Will the Atlanta Hawks Play Again This Season?

By Dallin Duffy

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 02: Vince Carter #15 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts in the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at State Farm Arena on March 02, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 02: Vince Carter #15 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts in the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at State Farm Arena on March 02, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Looking at the NBA suspension news and how it affects the Atlanta Hawks.

The Atlanta Hawks fell to the New York Knicks Wednesday night by a score of 136-131. Despite the game going to overtime, featuring a 23-point comeback and a 42-point performance from Trae Young, it was completely overshadowed.

During the third quarter of the match, the NBA announced that they had suspended the season due to rising concerns about the Coronavirus. The unprecedented announcement came just a short time after it was revealed that All-Star center Ruby Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.

The move comes after days of rumors that the NBA would consider playing future games without fans, but now that a player has the virus, they seemed to have shifted gears into something more serious.

The suspension is indefinite, but trusted ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that a decision would be coming from Adam Silver on Thursday.

Notably, this Tweet was sent before the NBA was suspended, but the NBA shouldn’t keep fans in the dark for too long, even if it’s not right away on Thursday.

There seems to be two options: play without fans for the rest of the season or for a shorter time period, or cancel the season.

The latter raises more questions than it answers, such as is there still going to be the Playoffs, and how does seeding work with an uneven amount of games played, and so on.

If that were the case, the Atlanta Hawks’ season would be over, and Vince Carter‘s career would be over.

Much more likely however (in my opinion) is the season going forth without fans in the arenas.

It would take some getting used to, but allows for the NBA and it’s league schedule to resume as planned — just with one, 18,000 person difference.

A decision would likely come with consideration to the Gobert situation, and I could see all 30 teams making their players get tested like the Jazz and Raptors’ locker room did. Teammates spend too much time together and use too much of the same material to not be worried about the spread among its player base.

Nothing is certain, and it’s to settle into this surreal event in the NBA. For now, go watch some Vince Carter highlights, as we might have seen the last of Vinsanity in the league.

Next. Early Free Agent Targets for the Atlanta Hawks. dark