Reacting to news that the Atlanta Hawks (and the rest of the NBA) could be back in action on December 22nd.
It’s been over seven months since the Atlanta Hawks last took the hardwood. Because of the initial suspension of play and the team not qualifying for the Orlando bubble, Hawks fans have been patiently waiting for any news regarding a return to action.
That news finally broke on Friday, although it was very tentative news. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the NBA is targeting a December 22nd start date for the 2020-21 season.
The NBA is targeting Dec. 22 for the start of the 2020-21 season and a 72-game campaign that finishes before the ‘21 Olympics, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2020
This would obviously be great, but it feels like an optimistic approach. While the Hawks would be suiting up on over nine months of rest, the Lakers won the championship just last week, giving them and the other teams who went deep into the playoffs a very short turnaround.
It also gives the league’s off-season a short window. The NBA Draft is slated for November 18th, meaning the youngest players in the league would have less than a month to get acquainted with their new professional team.
Not to mention, the NBA hasn’t set an official opening date for free agency.
The report feels like a step in the right direction, but nothing more than that. It’ll be a battle with the Players’ Association and ownership groups to sort everything out. The latter will be fighting hard to get fans in arenas despite ongoing COVID-19 concerns.
If it holds true, however, we’d be just under two months away from seeing Trae Young, John Collins, Clint Capela and the rest of the Atlanta Hawks back in action. If the Dec. 23rd date holds, I can’t think of a better early Christmas present, can you?
When do you think the Atlanta Hawks will finally get back to playing?